Bangkok Bloodbath
by Gene Akizuki
Summary: The Grand Palace in Bangkok was taken over by terrorists, holding the king and many others hostage. It's up to the Lagoon Company with an unlikely ally to liberate the hostages.
1. Chapter 1

**Inspired by "Olympus Has Fallen". This is technically a sequel to "Ocean of Death". **

* * *

Black Lagoon: Bangkok Bloodbath

1

_The Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Sunday, April 3, 20:00 hrs_

It was a party to remember.

The Monarch of Thailand certainly knew how to have fun. Unlike previous kings that isolate themselves, King Rama X loves to socialize. Barely 50, the monarch was young, fit and athletic, who enjoys fancy cars and good wine. Tonight is no different, as the country is celebrating his first year on the throne.

No expense was spared. The Phra Thinang Borom Ratchasathit Mahoran, one of the many buildings inside the massive palace complex, is readied for the occasion a week in advance. Performers from traditional Thai dancers to internationally-known singers were invited. Food was flown from all over the world. All the top level government officials and members of the diplomatic community were invited. The parking lot of the palace is full of limousines and expensive SUV's.

King Rama X appeared and was greeted with claps as he greeted the guest one by one. The young king looked dashing on his gold suit, the official color of the monarchy. By her side is her beautiful young wife, a former beauty queen and actress. But one person is noticeably absent in the ceremony.

"Good evening, Your Majesty," the Prime Minister Pracha Wongsamut greeted. Although the king is the official head of state and national symbol of Thailand, the prime minister has most of the government power. This PM is also young, and was a former classmate of the king at Harvard.

"Good evening, Pracha," the king greeted back. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"Very much, Your Highness," Wongsamut replied with a smile. "I didn't see the princess here tonight."

"She is not here," the king sadly said.

"And why is that? It's your first year on the throne, Your Highness, and she is your heir apparent. How could she be absent on this special event?"

Since the eleventh century, monarch of Siam and later Thailand were all male. However, the last two Constitutions of Thailand included provisions to permit for the amendment of the Palace Law to allow females to succeed. King Rama X shocked the Royal court and the world when he named her only daughter as his heir apparent. The princess is now a step away from making history as the first ever Queen of Thailand.

However, ever since her mother died and the king entered a relationship with the young actress, the bond between father and daughter deteriorated. Against her father's wishes, the princess entered the Royal Thai Marine Corp, where she is now serving as a Gunnery Sergeant. The stony relationship between the princess and her father's new wife has become the subject of media fascination and public gossip.

"Pracha, my daughter is a soldier. She stayed on the camp because of her duty."

"But she is the Princess of Thailand, for Buddha's sake!" the PM exclaimed. "She can leave the camp whenever she wants to."

"Let's just enjoy the party, Minister," the king replied, changing the topic.

Aside from the guests and hundreds of palace personnel, the complex is also teeming with policemen and soldiers on guard. However they are on a relaxed mood. Only a few of them are armed, mostly members of the Royal Guards. The majority of the soldiers and cops patrolling the premises are carrying empty rifles and unloaded pistols. The gates, however, are manned with soldiers in full battle gear.

It would be a costly mistake.

The guards on the Deva Phitak and Sakdi Chaisit Gates on the eastern wall heard the rumble first before they saw anything. The soldiers on the check point near the gate saw headlamps getting closer and closer. Military trucks are rumbling on the road, five of them. Behind are two GKN Simba armored personnel carriers.

The soldier waved his arms in the air. The convoy stopped alongside the Phra Thinang Suthaisawan Prasat hall between the two gates. The door of the lead truck opened and a tall man stepped out. He is about six feet, with ruggedly handsome features, broad shoulders and muscular physique that his form-fitting military fatigues couldn't hide. On his collar are insignias of a colonel, and he is also armed with a .45 caliber pistol in a leather holster on his waist.

The guards saluted. "Colonel Trang, sir!" the lead guard acknowledge, snapping in attention.

Colonel Trang saluted back. "At east, Corporal. Open the gates and let us pass, son."

The corporal looked confused. "Sir?"

"You heard me? I'm giving you a direct order. Open the gate."

"Sir…I can't do that. I have no authorization from my CO."

"We have received an intelligence report that someone is planning to assassinate the king," Trang explained. "We are here to reinforced security."

"Sir, I heard no such report." The corporal is still confused, but the prospect of the king's assassination unnerved him.

"You will open this gate, Corporal," Trang ordered, his voice now sharp.

"Sir I cannot…" the corporal began then stopped when he saw a "soldier" behind Trang raised a silenced pistol. The corporal's hand streaked to his M-16 but he was a second too late. Two shots whipped the guard in the head. He fell, unsure of what happened.

His comrades saw the murder and quickly raised their rifles. But they were cut down by more silence shots. The guards on the gate tried to aid. Suddenly figures in black appeared behind them, shiny steel flashed and they were instantly on the ground.

Trang looked up and saw more black-clad figures on the roof of the Suthaisawan Prasat hall. The figures entered through windows and quickly eliminated the guards there. In a few seconds, the gates swung open. Trang boarded the truck and the convoy raced inside, leaving dozens of dead bodies on the ground.

Black-clad men swooped on the compound, taking out sentries with blades and projectile weapons. They quickly eliminated the men on the main security office at fort Suthorn Thisa, rendering it useless. As the trucks rumbled inside the complex, the men on the trucks dismounted and quickly killed the remaining guards with silenced shots. Within minutes the east side was secured.

On the west side of the complex, boats approached the west wall of the palace which is adjacent to the Chao Phraya River. More black-clad men silently killed the guards, enabling dozens of armed men to land and secure the three gates on the west wall.

Inside the Ratchasathit Mahoran, as if nothing is happening. The king stepped on the stage to give his speech. The guests applaud as the monarch took to the podium.

"Good evening everyone," the king greeted. "I am honored to be with you all in this wonderful ceremony. As you all know I am king for just a year. However this year has been glorious for Thailand. The economy is going strong. Foreign investment kept coming in. Peace on order is maintained. In short, with Buddha's guidance, we had good year. I hope and pray that this will be the start of a new age in Thailand-."

The doors suddenly burst opened and Colonel Trang steeped inside the ballroom. He raised his gun and fired twice, killing a Royale Guard with two bullets to the head. The two armed men flanking him opened fired and took out more guards. Pandemonium erupted as guests screamed in terror and dove on the floor. Royal Guards grabbed the king and dragged him towards the rear door…

…a black apparition appeared there. With uncanny precision the man killed the Royal Guards with well-placed shots, their bodies collapsing on the carpet. The king hugged his wife as more armed men rushed inside, forcing the guests on the floor.

The black-clad killer had a face. Gray cloth covered the top of its head and its nose and mouth. Dark, almond-shaped eyes peered through the gap in the mask. The king quickly deduces he is an Oriental.

Colonel Trang approached the king. "Your Majesty," he greeted.

"What are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?" the king asked in disbelief.

"This party is over," Trang replied.


	2. Chapter 2

2

_Government House, Bangkok Thailand_

_Sunday, April 3, 20:30 hrs_

Her Majesty Princess Natthar Dhanasevi is one of the most beautiful royal in the world. Tall for a Thai, she has the figure of a supermodel and the face that belong to fashion magazines. However the princess shunned the pampered life and preferred to live in a barracks as a marine, a real-life "Warrior Princess." Only 23, she is already a combat veteran as she insisted in participating in many high-risk missions on the Thai-Burma border, a known haven for outlaws and pirates. She was twice wounded in duty, received awards for bravery and promoted Gunnery Sergeant just as few weeks ago.

The princess was all business when she entered the War Room. "What is the situation?" she asked without preamble.

Deputy Prime Minister Wichaidit, who is now acting PM, answered. "Situation is grim, Your Highness."

Princess Natthar sat on the head of the table. "Brief me."

General Janjarhatsin, chief of the Royal Thai Police, stood up. "Your highness, as the Americans say, the shit hit the fan. An armed group of perhaps a hundred men stormed the Grand Palace, killed the guards and took everyone inside hostage." The general sighed. "We strongly believe the king is one of them."

"Also the Prime Minister, the top generals of the military, most of the cabinet officials, the senate president, the house speaker, and even the chief justice," Wichaidit added. "We are the only high officials left in the government."

"How the hell did they manage to take over the Grand Palace?" Natthar angrily asked.

"It seems these men are highly-trained, probably ex-military – even active ones – and foreign mercenaries. There were led by Colonel Charnon Trang. You may remember him. He is under investigation for corruption. They were also aided by several men in black armed with bladed weapons."

"Ninjas," Natthar mussed.

"Yes Your Highness, ninjas," Janjarhatsin confirmed.

"Do they have any demands?"

"Not as of yet."

"What's our course of action?"

Wichaidit shook his head. "We don't have any course of action. We have to wait for their demands. But our security forces surrounded the palace. We have two thousand troops nearby."

"Do we have any options?"

Janjarhatsin nodded. "We have two. One, we could negotiate. This could drag down for a very long time, and they would have the leverage since they have the king and practically the whole government of Thailand. Two, is the military option. I don't need to tell you the risk, Your Highness."

Natthar hung her head. "Father…" she mussed.

Suddenly, she remembered something. There could be a third option, but like the second one it is also very risky. However, it's better to have it than not have anything at all. "General Janjarhatsin?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Get me a secure phone. I want to call someone."

"Where, Your Highness?"

"Roanapur."

* * *

_Roanapur, Thailand_

_Sunday, April 3, 22:00 hrs_

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you're seeing is not a movie, it's really happening," the reporter on the TV announced as convoys of tanks and soldiers rushed towards the center of Bangkok. "It was confirmed earlier, armed men are now in control of the Grand Palace and they are holding at least a hundred people hostage, including the Prime Minister and other top government official. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the king is also being held hostage. Hundreds of troops and dozens of tanks are now surrounding the palace; Bangkok is now a war zone…"

"Jesus Christ," Dutch remarked as they watched the news unfold. The big, black American is the leader of Lagoon Company and the captain of the PT Boat Black Lagoon. A veteran of Vietnam, Dutch is a skilled fighter who is fond of big-bored weapons and close range combat.

"Ambitious fuckers," Revy agreed. Known a Two Hands for her ambidextrous marksmanship, is one of the best fighters in Roanapur. The petite, dark-skinned woman loves to fight, curse and drink.

The Black Lagoon crew is having a drink at the Yellow Flag bar when the news of the hostage-taking broke. Most of the patrons are minding their own business until the TV reporters said high government officials are now being held in the Grand Palace at Bangkok. Everyone is now paying attention to the TV.

"Ambitious is right," Rock agreed.

Rock is the de facto money man of the Lagoon Company. Handsome and always well-dressed in white shirt, tie and slacks, he stands out in the gritty Roanapur crime world. He has just recovered from an unfortunate incident a few months ago. He was kidnapped and beaten by pirates, until he was finally rescued by Revy and the gang in a dramatic fight above the Roanapur Stadium.

Revy lit a cigarette. "You're thinking about her, Rock?"

Rock looked surprised. "Who? Sukandar? I told you Revy…"

Dutch laughed. "No you idiot. The princess."

"Oh. Her. Yeah I remembered her."

"I remembered it quite well too," Benny remarked. He is the resident tech expert and driver of the company. "She was a knockout."

Rock grunted. "And Revy nearly killed her."

"Hey!" Revy snapped. "The bitch had it coming!"

"Could you imagine if you killed her, Revy?" Dutch remarked. "'The Princess of Thailand Killed By Deranged American Woman' wont be good news for our company."

Rock laughed. "Besides, we went to Burma to rescue her."

"It's her fault anyway that she got kidnapped in fucking Burma," Revy insisted. "She is a fucking princess; she should stay on her castle and wait for her prince charming."

"She is a warrior just like you, Revy," Dutch said.

Benny's arm wrapped on Rock's shoulder. "Oh I think she found her prince charming here."

Rock blushed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Didn't you see it Rock? Clearly the princess has a thing for you."

Revy nearly dumped her drink. "No fucking way!"

Dutch sensed Revy is a bit jealous. "Come on Revy, we all know there is something about Rock that attracted hot women."

Revy went closer to Rock. "I still haven't forgiven you for fucking Sukandar."

Rock felt his life bar getting extinguished. "Hey, I didn't fuck Sukandar…she fucked me…"

Revy growled but then she noticed Dutch's Iphone of the table light up. "You got a call, Dutch," she said.

"Answer it," Dutch ordered.

Revy took the phone. "Hello?"

"I want to speak with Rock," a woman on the other line said.

"Wrong number, bitch," Revy sneered.

"Two Hands? This is Princess Natthar Dhanasevi…."

"Yeah and I'm Queen Elizabeth."

"Give the fucking phone to Rock!" The woman is obviously pissed.

Revy tossed the phone to Rock. "It's for you."

Rock caught it in midair. "Hello?"

"Rock, this is Princess Natthar."

Rock was visibly surprised. "Your Highness?"

"I need your help. I need your crew. You saw the news, I presumed?"

"Your Highness, I'm not the one you need to talk with. Dutch is the leader…"

Dutch nodded at him. "Tell her will do whatever she wants, for a price of course."

Revy beamed. "Do we get to storm the Grand Palace? That is such a dream come true!"

"Rock," the princess is now pleading. "You are my only hope. Please."

Benny rolled his eyes. "This is becoming all too Star Wars."


	3. Chapter 3

3

_Little Dragon Dojo, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 07:00 hrs_

Shenhua faced her class. They were young, teenagers between ages thirteen and sixteen. Most are Thai but there are some from other ethnic groups, even an American. For her, they were all the same; they reminded her of the good things in life.

Shenhua is a tall, pretty Chinese lady with long flowing violet hair, a large chunk of bangs covering her right eye. Unlike most martial arts teachers, Shenhua is not dressed in gi training outfit but in a red cheongsam made of silk and beautifully decorated with dragons and Chinese symbols. The slit on her thighs is short enough to cover her underwear but long enough to show her slender legs. Her face is colored with makeup and it was her mannerism to check her face in the mirror almost every minute.

She is an expert martial artist, trained in the Chinese wushu, better known as kung-fu, since childhood. Aside from that she also studied other martial arts such as karate, aikido, kendo, silat, eskrima, and muay thai. This made her one of the most elite female martial artist in the world. She could have been a master or a movie superstar but Shenhua choose a different path; she became an assassin. Shenhua would kill anyone, for a price. In time she became one of Roanapur's most skilled killers.

That is until she met fate. She was nearly killed in a mission, and only the intervention of a gentleman named Lotton saved her life. This and other personal tragedies led her to leave the life of crime. She moved out of Roanapur and opened a martial arts dojo in far away Bangkok. Luckily her former employer, Mr. Chang, understood her decision and even gave her money to start a new life.

Shenhua used to believe that martial arts are just methods to kill. Now she believes that learning the study of martial arts encompassed more than learning fighting techniques. Combat skills are destructive unless tempered with self control, a sense of responsibility and patience. These were traits that would serve the practitioner well in every aspect of life. They would teach him or her to respect the right of others to be individuals and to treat fellow men with consideration and dignity.

The class formally bowed to Shenhua. She returned the gesture. The students are wearing white shirts and red silk pajamas, the standard uniform of wushu practitioners. The class paid homage to Buddha first. Shenhua is a Taoist but here in Thailand most people are Buddhist and it wasn't a big deal for her.

"Be seated," she told the class. She waited for the students to sit cross-legged on the floor before continuing. "Today we will do minor freestyle sparring using punches. There would be no winners or losers; I just wanna see how you progressed. And please don't get carried away and hit each other hard."

"Sifu," a young student began, referring to Shenhua by the Chinese word for teacher. "Will we be using kicks as well?"

"Not today. Be patient. Fighting skills take time to develop. Steel forged too quickly often becomes brittles."

"Sifu," another student said. "My brother said you are teaching him stick fighting."

"You brother enrolled in my eskrima class," Shenhua replied. "As you may know, eskrima is different because it teaches weapon skills first before unarmed combat."

"But sifu, true martial arts doesn't use weapons, right?" another asked.

Shenhua smiled. "The word martial means combative. Weapons are part of martial arts, may it be knifes, swords, even guns. These are merely tools of combat. The real weapon is the human body itself. Remember kids, martial arts is not in here." Shenhua balled her fist. Then she pointed at her head. "It's in here." She lowered her hand and pointed at her heart. "And especially here."

Three men entered the dojo. They wore black gi uniforms and sneakers. Black belts are tied on their waists. Shenhua recognized the muscular, white man in the middle. Jason Dax had operated another martial arts dojo in Bangkok for many years. Dax was a former US Marine and claimed to teach "Korean karate". During the 80's he taught "hybrid killer muay thai," then later "full contact mixed martial arts." Shenhua was not sure what style Dax was claiming to teach now.

"Good morning, sensei Dax," Shenhua greeted, bowing politely.

The students also bowed to the visitors. Dax and his friends did not respond. Shenhua's eyes narrowed slightly but she did not express her annoyance.

"I want to talk with you, Shenhua," Dax announced as he stepped forward. Anger filled his eyes as he glared at Shenhua.

Shenhua raised her eyebrow. "I got a class right now. Maybe later over a cup of coffee…"

"Chikenshit bitch, ain't she?" one of Dax's men snorted. He was a big Thai, well-built like a football player.

"Take it easy, Fong," Dax urged. "We don't really know that Shenhua is a coward. We just kinda suspect it. By the way Shen, these are my two star pupils, both third dan black belts, Fong and Pedoy."

"A pleasure," Shenhua bowed. She was not impressed by their rank. These two clearly received their black belts from Dax which Shenhua regarded as a sorry excuse for a sensei. Their attitude certainly suggested they were instructed in bullying and not in the real values and principles of martial arts.

"We are not here for pleasantries," Pedoy commented, thumping the end of a bo staff on the floor. Pedoy is a short and fat man, with curly hair in an afro. Shen thought the guy looked like a blowfish.

"You've been stealing students from me, Shenhua," Dax complained. "My school is in trouble because you are ripping me off."

"Our students have the right to choose the dojo they want," she shrugged. "No one is forcing them to enroll at my humble school. Perhaps they saw that I have more credibility in teaching martial arts."

"What did you say, bitch!?" Fong shouted. "Don't think that just because you're a girl we won't beat your ass!"

"Why don't you try?" Shenhua asked.

Fong growled and lunged forward. He launched a fist forward, then quickly changed to a vicious snap kick. Shenhua easily avoided the foot by spinning around. She grabbed Fong's arm then fired her own snap kick at Fong's right leg. The man cried in pain as he collapsed on one knee. Shenhua spun again, this time aiming a roundhouse kick at Fong' temple. Her heel connected, unleashing devastating force on the "martial artist" brain. Fong fell face-first on the floor

Pedoy attacked, swinging his bo in the air, aiming for Shenhua's head. She ducked, the wood grazing her hair. Pedoy then swung it back but Shenhua was gone. Too late when he realized the woman moved behind her. She snapped her wrist in a shuto chop, smashing it on Pedoy's nape. The man started to fall when Shenhua moved forward and obliterated his face with a flawless Muay Thai knee strike.

"Well, Dax, this was your idea, wasn't it?" Shenhua questioned. She wasn't even breathing hard after dispatching two assailants. She took out her makeup compact and simply checked her face in the mirror.

"It….was a mistake…sifu…" Dax said in a quivering voice. "I'm sorry…"

"Apologize to your students," Shenhua replied. "You wronged them by wasting their time and stealing their money. You didn't teach them karate, Dax. You simply succeeded in making them bullies worst than they already were."

Shenhua turned her back against Dax. This was the ultimate insult. Dax presented himself as an enemy, and Shenhua turned her back on him. This implied that Dax was such an inferior opponent that he did not present a threat even if he attacked from behind.

Dax had lost face, and his chances of reviving his dojo were now hopelessly crushed. With anger fuming on his veins, he launched a treacherous side kick at the small of Shenhua's back. The kick could cripple her for life, but Dax didn't care if the snapped her spine in two.

Shenhua saw Dax attacking on her compact mirror. Fingers snapped as she closed the compact and hurled it at Dax's face. Glass crashed and powder blinded the man for a millisecond, it was enough to distract him. Shenhua quickly sidestepped to avoid the kick, then caught the leg with her left hand. With a shout, she dropped the heel of her right hand on Dax's knee. Bones crunched, Dax howled in pain and knew his knee cap was split in two.

"You bitch!" Dax cursed. "I'll kill you!"

Shenhua spun and kicked Dax in the face. The fake sensei fell and stayed still. Only the slight movement of his diaphragm indicated that he was still alive.

"Your demonstrations are getting a little rough, Shen," a familiar voice inquired.

Shenhua turned and saw a man entering the dojo. He was tall and handsome, with long white hair. He's dressed in uncomfortable-looking suit and coat. The man smiled at Shen.

"How are you, Lotton?" Shen asked.

"I'm fine," Lotton replied. "I missed you."

* * *

**Author's note: In case you're wondering, I'm a fan of LottonXShenhua. XDD -gene**


	4. Chapter 4

4

_Bangkok, Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 08:00 hrs_

"So that's the situation, Shen," Dutch said as he finished explaining the Grand Palace hostage crisis to Shenhua.

The Black Lagoon company, with Lotton and Shen, are on board a large SUV heading towards the Government House in the center of Bangkok. Traffic here in the capital of Thailand is legendary, especially in rush hour such as this. Millions of Thais started commuting in cars, motorcycles and public transport towards the business centers across the bustling city.

"So we want you to help us," Rock said.

Shenhua nodded in understanding. "You do realize that I'm done with the life of violence?"

"That's not what I saw earlier," Lotton chuckled.

Revy was more blunt. "You're really a pussy."

"What did you say, you whore?!" Shen snapped.

"Quit it," Dutch growled. "Both of you. Shen, Lotton recommended to ask for your help since some of the terrorists are ninjas. You are the only one who is skilled enough to go toe to toe with them. Now, we are not forcing you. If you don't want to help, that would be okay. No hard feelings."

"You will be handsomely paid, rest assured," Rock promised.

Shen looked at Lotton. "You're coming too, Lotton?"

"Of course I am."

"Lotton helped us a lot in our operation against Sukandar."

"I heard that." Shen looked at Revy. "Did you really kill Sukandar with a sword? I'm surprised she didn't skin you alive."

Revy shrugged. "She tried."

"So Shen, are you in?" Dutch asked.

Shen closed her eyes. "I swore I will never kill for money again…but since you guys asked me nicely…then I'm in. Besides, those ninjas represent everything that I abhor."

Lotton grinned. "That's good to hear."

"So there are only four of us against at least two hundred terrorists?" Shen asked, knowing the fact that Rock and Benny doesn't fight.

"Five, actually," Dutch said.

As if on cue, the SUV stopped in front of a Catholic church. The door opened and a young-looking man with dark green hair and dressed in priest attire stepped inside. "Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning, Rico," Dutch greeted.

Rico smiled, but then the smile vanished when he saw Shen. "What the hell, you got Shenhua too?"

"Your boss nearly killed me," Shen told him.

"It was…a…misunderstanding…" Rico stammered.

Shen nodded. "No hard feelings. I've learned to forgive my enemies."

Rico was visibly relieved.

"We need a heavy weapons specialist," Dutch explained. "We hired Roberta last mission but she returned to Colombia and she couldn't be contacted in time."

The SUV entered the gates of the Government House. The building was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers and several tanks. Security was obviously beefed, but the soldiers quickly waved the SUV inside. The vehicle stopped and the door swung open. Dutch, Revy, Rock, Benny, Lotton, Shenhua and Rico stepped out.

A police general greeted them. "I'm General Janjarhatsin," he introduced.

"You don't need to know who we are, General," Dutch replied.

Janjarhatsin is obviously not amused. "I know all of you. You are all criminals. This is Bangkok, not Roanapur. Your antics wouldn't stand here."

"So you want to arrest us?" Revy challenged.

"Nothing would give me satisfaction than seeing you all behind bars," Janjarhatsin declared bitterly. "But the princess wants to speak with you. Follow me."

Eyes followed the group as they walked towards the War Room. Royal Guards looked at the strangers with suspicion. A guard opened the door and the group entered the hardened bunker.

Princess Natthar Dhanasevi is waiting for them. Janjarhatsin bowed in respect. The others bowed as well.

"I'm so glad to see all of you," Natthar said. She stood up and walked towards the Lagoon Company. "Dutch."

Dutch bowed. "Your Highness."

"Benny."

Benny also bowed. "An honor, ma'am."

Natthar's eyebrows rose at Revy. "So you're still alive, Revy."

Revy glared at her.

Natthar ignored it and approached Rock. She eyed her with interest and smiled. "Rock."

Rock bowed. "Your Highness."

"It's been a while. How are you?"

Rock smiled back. "Just fine, Your Highness."

The princess greeted the others and walked towards the big table with the scale model of the Palace. Rock felt an elbow striking his ribs. He looked at Revy; the woman was glaring at her.

"The terrorists already released the members of the diplomatic community and almost all of the Palace staff," the princess began. "It seems Colonel Trang didn't want to antagonize any foreign power. We assumed that they still have at least a hundred hostages though, including my father and stepmother."

"Demands?" Dutch asked.

"None yet," Deputy Prime Minister Wichaidit said. Like Janjarhatsin, he is not amused at the prospect of using mercenaries.

"Do you already have a military plan?" Rock asked.

Natthar shook her head. "I'm formulating a plan of action. But the odds are not in our favor." The princess pointed at the model. "As you can see, the palace has four sides. It's huge, about 200,000 square meters surrounded by walls. There are at least a hundred buildings inside the compound. Our soldiers already surrounded the whole Rattanakosin Island and we are conducting a round the clock surveillance. We still don't know where the hostages are held."

"Aside from the hostages, the complex contains thousands of important and priceless artifacts of our history, including the Emerald Buddha," Janjarhatsin added.

Natthar nodded. "The palace has three entry points each side of the wall. The terrorists barricaded all the gates except the one in Phra Thinang Suthaisawan Prasat. We could see many armed guards patrolling the premises while ninjas are patrolling the roofs."

"Could it be assaulted from the air?" Rock asked.

"Trang's men would hear choppers from miles away. An assault from the Chao Phraya River on the east side is also dangerous. The water is riddled with obstacles, including mines."

"A Chavin De Huantar-style operation then," Dutch suggested, invoking the name of a famous commando operation in Peru that dug tunnels to rescue hostages in the Japanese embassy.

Natthar shook her head. "The Peruvian government stalled negotiated for four months, ample time to prepare for the strike. We don't have that time."

"Well, I have an idea," Revy said cheerfully.

"No you don't," Dutch replied, aware that Revy is thinking of a crazy plan.

"You haven't heard it yet," Revy complained.

"We don't have to," Rock grunted. "I know what your plans are like. Last time we followed one of your ideas, we almost got killed."

"But it was a fucking good plan," Revy insisted. The others are shocked at her language in the presence of the princess.

Natthar nodded. "I'm willing to hear it."

"Your Highness, seriously?" Rock asked incredulously.

"Right now, I will hear every fucking good plan from everyone," the princess replied. "No matter how crazy it is."

"So what's your plan?" Dutch conceded.

Revy looked at the model. "Where is the weakest point here?"

Natthar pointed at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on the northeast corner of the complex. "We Buddhists wouldn't dare desecrate the temple. Our surveillance confirmed there are few sentries there."

"So that's where we are going in," Revy said.

"Are you insane?" Wichaidit exclaimed. "The Temple is the holiest site in Thailand! We will not let you cowboys rampage on the temple!"

"And even if we did let you, Trang would execute the hostages at the mere sign of a rescue attempt," Janjarhatsin added.

"You have to bluff them," Revy countered. "Tell them we are not working for you. Order them to hunt us down. We will kill them all."

Janjarhatsin rolled his eyes. "You are very confident."

"How can we trust all of you?" Wichaidit asked. "You are just mercenaries! You could take the money and just run!"

"That is why I'm going with them," Princess Natthar declared.

Wichaidit looked like he will sweat bullets. "Your…Highness! You are the Princess of Siam, the future queen! And now you are the head of the military forces! You can't possibly risk your life with these untrained, undisciplined mercenaries!"

"I'm a soldier, Minister," Natthar replied. "I will do my duty. Dutch, please finalize the plan. Lead us; I will follow your orders."

Dutch nodded, knowing all to well that Natthar could fight. "Very well. We'll go in tonight."

The communications officer suddenly burst inside the room. "Your Highness, Colonel Trang is on the line!"

"Speak to him, Minister," Natthar ordered Wichaidit.

The LCD display on the wall lit up. The princess and the mercenaries avoided the camera. The face of Royal Thai Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Yubamrung appeared.

"General?" Minister Wichaidit asked. "Are you all right?"

Without warning the general's head exploded in a shower of blood and brains. The war council gasped in shocked, Princess Natthar hung her head and said a silent prayer.

Colonel Charnon Trang's face appeared. "I have executed the general," he declared. "Perhaps now you will understand the gravity of the situation. You have 24 hours to withdraw your military forces in the Burmese border and deliver one billion US dollars in an unmarked helicopter. Or I will execute the hostages. And oh by the way, if you mounted any kind of rescue, I will kill the king on live television."

The display went blank.

"May Buddha be with us," Natthar prayed.

Revy burned Trang's face on her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

5

_Chakri Maha Prasat building_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 08:30 hrs_

Two mercenaries dragged the body of General Yubamrung away from the throne room. The hostages could still hear the gun shot, could still smell the power and could still see the image of the execution that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

"You son of a bitch!" the king shouted at Trang. He was tied on a chair with his wife.

Colonel Trang holstered his pistol.

"You fucking traitor!" the king shouted again.

Trang was on him instantly. He grabbed the monarch's neck and pulled him closer to his face. "Don't you dare call me a traitor!" Trang said, his voice full of anger. "I gave my whole life in the service of this country. And what did I get? A court martial! For what? For charges that I didn't commit! For corruption perpetrated by your high-ranking generals!"

"We can open a forum for your grievances…"

Trang backhanded the king. He collapsed as his wife gasped and cried.

"You listened to me, Your Highness," Trang threaten. "You will die unless we get what we want."

"Go fuck yourself!" the king defiantly cursed.

Trang lost his patience. He drew his pistol, aimed it at the head of the Minister of Justice and fired. The hostages shrieked as the man tumbled, missing half of his head.

"Trang!" a voice called out.

Trang looked back and saw the leader of the Burmese mercenaries calling him. He calls himself Kham but Trang is sure that is not his real name. "We need to talk," Kham said.

Trang holstered his gun and walked towards the door. Kham followed him to the corridor. "The bodies are all moved to one location," Kham reported.

"Good work," replied Trang.

"Could you tell me why you released the diplomats without consulting me?" Kham asked, his voice clearly annoyed.

"We have discussed this before," Trang said sharply. "I thought we agreed that the diplomats and palace personnel should be released when the government started negotiations."

"Why surrender hostages?" Kham complained. "The diplomats could be used as bargaining chips against the United States and other governments."

"Are you out of your mind?" Trang snapped. "The superpowers would send help to Thailand if their ambassadors remained hostages. And we will be dead!"

"But we need insurance. Those bastards will stall for time!"

"And that is exactly what we need. I gave them 24 hours to comply, no doubt they will ask for an extension. We will execute a few hostages but we will extend the deadline until we can complete phase 2."

"You all care about money," Kham said bitterly. "What about my people?"

Trang has no immediate answer for that. Kham and his men are members of a Burmese separatist group that demands their own independent nation on the Thailand-Burma border. They are attacking both Burmese and Thai armies. Trang has second thoughts on recruiting these guerillas, they are nothing compared to the well-trained ex-soldiers and mercenaries under his command. Most of them are teenagers brainwashed and sometimes kidnapped from tribes. But still, they are dangerous; they have weapons and knew how to use them. Besides, if the government forces attack they would be cannon fodder.

Actually, Trang did not expect the negotiations to accomplish anything. There was little likelihood that Thailand would pull out its forces from the border, or pay the billion dollar ransom. The ransom demands were just a way to stall for time. Trang hoped they would focus everyone's attention on the hostages instead of the priceless treasures in the palace. Trang didn't want any political gains, he just wanted these treasures and wanted as much as he can get.

"We will show them that we mean business," Trang said finally.

"I don't trust the government, much as I don't trust the damned Japanese," Kham continued. "How can you trust men who constantly hide their faces with masks?"

"You don't need to see our faces, Kham-san," a voice whispered.

Both Trang and Kham were startled by the voice. Neither had heard the dark shape enter the corridor. They turned to face the shadowy gray figure that stood against a pillar.

He called himself Sato. He's a highly trained warrior, an expert in infiltration, camouflage, and assassination. Sato is a chunin ninja subchief of the Komo Clan. Sato was the unit commander of a team of the most deadly killers in the world.

The Komo Clan, unlike most ninjas, were absolute mercenaries. Anyone with enough money and connections could hire these uniquely trained and highly professional assassins. Trang hired them for this mission. It had seemed a brilliant strategy at the time but Trang is now having second thoughts about it.

Trang had assumed the ninjas would simply follow orders. He had been very wrong. Sato and his men are hard-nosed realists, not fanatics like the Burmese. The ninjas are champions in acquiring intelligence, and Trang feared that Sato knew his true goal was to claim the palace treasures and not achieve some absurd political coup. The cunning Japanese hit man had probably been eavesdropping on conversations for some time.

Killing Sato wouldn't be easy. Unlike the masked acrobats in the movies, a modern ninja is familiar with modern weapons. Sato carried a Japanese Minebea PM-9 submachine gun and a Minebea P-9 pistol, copies of IMI Uzi and Sig Sauer P220 respectively. Both fired 9mm ammo and are reliable weapons. He's also armed with traditional ninja weaponry, including a sword and shuriken stars.

"Shouldn't you be supervising your men?" Kham asked dryly.

"My genin know their job," Sato declared. "I saw no need to supervise them at this time."

"Of course, Sato-san," Trang said quickly.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Sato said humbly. "I just want to tell you that the palace is surrounded by eight army tanks, cannons pointed at our direction."

"May Buddha protect us," Kham whispered.

"No, Kham," Trang smiled. "May Buddha protect_ them_."


	6. Chapter 6

6

_Grand Palace North Wall, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 20:00 hrs_

"How long do we have to fucking wait?" Revy asked. She already smoked at two packs of Marlboros, turning the inside of the command van into sauna.

"Patience," Dutch answered, moving his chess piece forward. Rock grunted as the big black man took out his Queen.

"You are always eager to go to action," Princess Natthar commented. She is assembling her rifle.

"It's already dark," Revy complained.

Shenhua smiled as applied makeup. "With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin. With time and patience the satin becomes a silk gown," she said, quoting a famous Chinese proverb.

Revy snorted. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Shen," Lotton called.

The Chinese looked up. "What is it?"

"I'll watch your back."

Shen's visible eyebrow rose. "My ass?"

Lotton blushed. "No! That's not what I meant…"

"I know," Shen smiled. "I'll watch yours too."

Lotton chuckled. "You really couldn't live without your makeup."

Shen closed her compact which is bigger and made from metal. "One day this will save my life," she declared, putting the compact inside her vest.

Rock watched the exchange and glanced at Dutch, smiling mischievously. "I can smell love is in the air," he said.

"Lucky you," Dutch grunted. "I can only smell Marlboros."

The strike team is ready for action. All of them are dressed in black fatigues, lightweight sneakers and ALICE vests. They omitted body armor to reduce weight and be more flexible, a must in close combat inside the palace. They are also armed with a bewildering array of weapons, from machine guns to small knives.

Revy carried her trademark weapons, twin customized Beretta 92-FS Inox 9mm pistols under her armpits. A Heckler and Koch HK416 assault carbine with an M203 grenade launcher is her preferred long arm topped with an EOTech XPS sight and Surefire LED light on the side. A samurai tanto knife is sheathed on her belt, the same one she used to kill Widi Sukandar, and a wicked-looking Cold Steel Terminator dagger is clipped on her boot.

Dutch is armed with his big bad shotgun, the infamous Daewoo USAS-12 automatic shotgun. For backup, Dutch packs a Smith and Wesson Model 629 .44 Magnum revolver that rests on his right thigh. A .45 caliber Colt Commander rested at the small of his back, right next to a massive Hibben Bowie knife. Lotton, the resident sniper, is armed with the big brother of Revy's 416, the Heckler and Koch HK417 battle rifle with a silencer. The bigger 7.62mm round it fired could kill a man with one shot; a Nightforce nightscope assured accuracy even at total darkness. Lotton also favored a big bored handgun; in this case he's carrying a Smith and Wesson M&P pistol in .357 SIG.

Rico, on the other hand, is armed with an M249 SAW paratrooper machine gun with a cloth belt pouch that would reduce noise. A Desert Eagle .357 Magnum pistol rests on his thigh. Princess Natthar carried the weapon she uses in the Royal Thai Marines, an M4 carbine with a Trijicon ACOG scope. An expensive Kimber .45 caliber pistols are holstered on her hip. Her knife is a Marine Ka-Bar dagger sharpened to razor's edge.

Shenhua dislikes firearms but she concedes and realized she will need extra firepower for this mission. She decides to arm herself with an FN Five-seven pistol; futuristic-looking, lightweight and compact polymer gun that fired armor-piercing 5.7mm rounds. Revy doubted its stopping power but the Five-seven could load twenty and has very little recoil. Shenhua seemed to be proficient with it. But she is more comfortable with her bladed weapons.

Sheathed on her back are two Thai e-nep knives, deadly sharp cutlery with foot-long blades made from hardened steel and curved like a Nepalese kukri. The hardwood handles are engraved with dragon scales making them non-slip. The pommel has rings that could be attached to a long leather strap, making them range weapons when thrown. Shen was known to decapitate a man from two meters away. Aside from the e-neps, Shen also carried eight kunai throwing knives, four on each thigh holsters. These classic ninja weapons are blades with rings on the handle that could be use in close combat or thrown with great accuracy. Shenhua has more melee weapons including chains and blades on small her backpack. She is also armed with a Barnett Delta Storm crossbow; a deadly accurate hunting weapon that folds into a very small package.

Of course all of them carried plenty of extra ammo, grenades and night vision goggles. Rico, a demolitions specialist, is also carrying C4 plastic explosives while Lotton, trained by Roberta in field dressing, is equipped with a medical pack. All of them are also equipped with mini radio communicators and modified IPad Minis for mapping and lock access.

Rock and Benny would stay on the van; the inside is pack with high-tech communication equipment. The princess made sure of it. Benny would be the tech support while Rock would be the overall mission controller. In case of trouble, they are also armed with shotguns to repel boarders.

Revy impatiently checked her Casio wristwatch. "What's taking so fucking long?"

Dutch moved his knight and brilliantly took Rock's king. "It's time," he said, standing up and taking his shotgun.

"Finally," Revy muttered as they went out of the van.

"Alright, final briefing," Dutch said as the six warriors circled around. "We will wait for the distraction before going to the wall. We'll take care of the enemy in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha first before proceeding to the middle courtyard. We'll split into three teams then. Lotton and Shen, you'll be Garuda 1."

Lotton and Shenhua looked at each other and smiled. "Well at least we can die together," Lotton said cheerfully.

"But Lotton, I wouldn't want any other death!" Shen sweetly replied.

Lotton beamed. "Me too."

Revy grunted. "Disgusting."

Dutch continued. "Rico, you go with me, Garuda 2. Revy, you're with the princess, Garuda 3."

"WHAT?!" Revy exclaimed. "No fucking way, Dutch!"

Natthar is less amused. "Dutch, if you want to kill me, just shoot me now and get it over with."

"Enough!" Dutch barked. "We don't have time to bicker!"

The roar of an explosion confirmed Dutch's remark. This is the prearranged signal. Natthar instructed the army to provide a distraction. An explosion had been engineered near an empty tank. The explosion is loud and the fire intense but it was relatively harmless. It did, however, attracted the attention of the media, the sentries and soldiers that were not aware of the plan.

"Now, Benny!" Dutch radioed. Benny quickly cut the CCTV power on the north wall.

The commandos ran towards the wall. Lotton and Shen both dropped to their knees while the others continued to run to the wall. Lotton raised the 417 rifle while Shen readied her crossbow. Two sentries were stationed at the foot of the wall, but both were preoccupied with the burning tank and the excited crowd that had assembled around it. They did not see the Lagoon Team approach.

Lotton and Shenhua made certain they never would.

Lotton peered through the Nightforce scope mounted on his rifle. The high-intensity scanner turned black night into green. He clearly saw the back of the sentry's head. Lotton didn't hesitate and squeezed the trigger. The HK417 buckled, the sound of gunfire muffled by the foot-long suppressor. The high-velocity hand-loaded 7.62mm hollowpoint round smashed into the terrorist skull. It entered his right temple, mushrooming as it drilled through brain matter and blasted a gory exit at the opposite side of the head. The corpse crumpled on the ground.

Shenhua watched the other sentry through the infrared scope of her crossbow. The terrorist had heard something strike his comrade and had turned to see him fall. He opened his mouth as Shen triggered the Barnett. The carbon fiber bolt shot through the air. A titanium tip entered the sentry's gaping mouth and travelled downward, severing his spine. The man tumbled to join his fallen comrade.

Dutch barely glanced at the dead terrorists. He and Rico are carrying coils of rope with grappling hooks. Judging by the distance they swung the ropes. The hooks bit stone and held. Dutch quickly climbed to the top. In a few seconds he is on the tiled roof of the wall.

Suddenly a long ribbon of steel slashed out from the shadows. Dutch hastily raised his shotgun. Metal clang against metal as the sword struck the barrel of the USAS-12. Two dark eyes glared at Dutch from the narrow gap between hood and mask.

Dutch tried to butt-stroke his attacker with the USAS-12. The ninja struck the frame of the shotgun with his sword. The force of the blow sent gun flying, only lightning quick reflexes saved the Lagoon leader from being cut in half. Dutch grabbed the ninja's wrist before the killer could deliver an overhead sword stroke. He pumped a knee toward the ninja's groin. It struck thigh muscle as the Japanese moved a leg to guard his privates.

The black badass pivoted and rammed the ninja's forearm into a stone garuda on the roof. The masked man hissed like a cornered snake but the blow forced him to release the sword. The ninja was far from helpless, however. He slammed a foot on Dutch's ribs. Dutch grunted in pain as the ninja yanked his wrist free.

Suddenly, a powerful hand grabbed the ninja's neck from behind. Revy's tanto knife flashed and she plunge the blade into the enemy's right kidney. The ninja stiffen as Revy brought the knife up and slit his throat. She released the nearly decapitated corpse and it fell on the tiles.

"Thanks Revy," Dutch said. "He came out of nowhere."

Rico handed the USAS-12 to Dutch. "I caught it before it hit the ground."

"Thank you."

Lotton and Shenhua climbed up the ropes to the top to join the others. Revy kicked the dead ninja over the edge.

"Let's move!" Dutch ordered.


	7. Chapter 7

7

_Temple of the Emerald Buddha_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 20:10 hrs_

The Lagoon Team descended from the wall to a point west of the The Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew, known formally as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram. Incorrectly referred to as a Buddhist temple, it is in fact a chapel; it has all the features of a temple except for living quarters for monks. Built in 1783, the temple was constructed in accordance with ancient tradition dating back to Wat Mahathat, a royal chapel within the grounds of the royal palace at Sukhothai, and Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch at Ayutthaya. The famed Emerald Buddha is kept within the grounds of the temple. Under normal circumstances this area should be filed with tourists admiring the golden structures of classic Thai architectures and believers praying for blessings from the Emerald Buddha.

Now it's nearly deserted. True to what Revy theorized, the terrorists didn't bother posting guards on the temple for being superstitious. Even if they were ordered to, a normal Buddhist faithful would never desecrate an important shrine such as this. There were only three guards outside the temple building.

Dutch's gigantic Bowie filled his hand. He creeps behind a sentry. With one powerful sweep, he decapitated the man, the grisly corpse collapsed. His buddy turned and gasped as his comrade's head rolled on the ground. He never saw the kunai knife spinning in the air and burying on his throat.

The third one shared the misfortune. Revy pulled him back and buried the Cold Steel Tanto again and again on the side until the body went limped.

"May Buddha forgive us," Princess Natthar prayed as they silently creep on the hedgerows. Shenhua recovered her kunai from the sentry's neck, wiped it clean and resheated it.

It was a different story on the nearby building of Sala Sahathai Samakhom. The building is teeming with mercenaries. Some are in uniform while others are a ragtag motley crew of teenagers with guns. In the silence of the night, the Lagoon Team could hear them speaking and barking orders in a language that is different from Thai.

"Burmese," Natthar said, confirming what Dutch had suspected.

Two figures on the garden stood up. Both were staring at Lagoon Team. The pair apparently noticed the six black shapes among the shadows. It appeared that they were not certain if the group was friend of foe. It was possible that they thought the team is ninja mercenaries on their side.

"Shen, Lotton, take them out," Dutch ordered.

Shenhua is already targeting the enemy. When the mercenaries raised his M16 rifle, Shen triggered her crossbow. The bolt sang briefly as it sliced across the shadows and slammed into the face of the terrorist. The titanium tip buried itself on the left eye, piercing his brain and killing him instantly.

The second terrorist turned sharply when he heard the sickening impact of the arrow to flesh and bone. He didn't have time to shout. Lotton fired his HK417, a 7.62mm round caught the Burmese on the bridge of the nose. The slug punches through his skull and turned his brain into lifeless red and gray mush.

A window shattered on the Sala Sahathai Samakhom as two gun barrels burst through the glass. Princess Natthar quickly aimed her M4 and triggered it. 5.56mm tumblers bombarded the window before either terrorist could fire a shot. Revy also joined in, saturating the target with her HK416. The enemy gun barrels disappeared.

Rico is covering the rear when he saw three enemies on the roof. His machine gun snarled, delivering suppressive fire on the flunkies. One Burmese caught three 5.56mm rounds to the chest. His body tumbled from the roof, dead as a door nail.

The second one ducked when he heard the rapid staccato of Rico's M249. Dutch aimed his USAS-12 and tripped the trigger. The automatic shotgun roared, releasing a hail of buckshot. The terrorist was hit in the chest by a Double O Magnum pellets, the impact kicking him off his feet as more metal balls savaged his body.

The third one decided he had enough. He bolted from the confrontation, awkwardly firing his M16 with one hand. None of the bullets came close to the Lagoon Company. Dutch tracked the Thai through the sights of his shotgun and fired a single shot. Steel balls crashed on the terrorist's legs. The man screamed as his legs were obliterated. A cry of terror echoed as his body hurtled to the ground below, ending abruptly when he crashed to earth.

More gun barrels emerged from the windows of the Sala Sahathai Samakhom. Autofire hammered. Bullets sizzled around the Lagoon Team. The commandos dropped on the ground as projectiles zing above them.

"I had enough," Revy growled, rolling on the ground and squeezing the trigger of her M203 grenade launcher. The 40mm kicked the rifle back into Revy's shoulder like a pissed-off horse as the high explosive shell rocketed towards the building. The grenade went though a window and detonated inside. Screams of terror and pain filled the night.

Revy and Natthar scrambled to their feet and charged towards the building. Five dazed and disoriented terrorists staggered from the wreckage, thankful to still be alive. It wouldn't last. Revy and the princess opened fire, the M4 and 416 duets sang. 5.56mm slugs sliced into the terrorists, their bodies dropped like bloodied bowling pins.

As Shen stood up, she saw a sudden movement from the corner of her eye. Three terrorists appeared on the corner. Shen drew her FN pistol and fired as fast as she could. Four 5.7mm rounds pierced the lead Thai's chest, tumbling inside the torso and shredding his organs. Her other hand snapped forward, releasing a kunai. The blade buried on the other man's heart.

The third was close enough to pounce, swinging a fighting stick at Shen. The Chinese quickly dropped, avoiding the hurtling staff. An e-nep knife rasped from its sheath. The Burmese struck again, this time his staff connected with the razor-sharp edge of the e-nep. Wood sliced in two. Shen swung the long knife, the curve blade fitting perfectly on the terrorist's neck. The cut was so perfect that the head didn't move, until the corpse tumbled and the head rolled away.

"Give the guy a head," Lotton joked.

"I didn't hear that," Shen replied as she slid her e-nep on its scabbard.

"Hey Revy," Dutch called. "Be careful about launching grenades. This is the Grand Palace, remember."

"Fuck that," Revy snapped, loading a grenade on her 203. "It was a support building. How many great works of art were in there?"

"A few," Natthar sighed. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now."

"We got company!" Rico pointed. Two sets of headlights are racing on the narrow road from the Bureau of The Royal Household building.

"We'll have to slow them down," Dutch told Rico, feeding a new drum magazine on his USAS-12.

"I'll join you," Revy asked with a grin.

"No," Dutch ordered. "You are the best fighter in our group. You need to take command and get the princess to a better cover. Besides, a major battle will endanger the lives of the hostages."

"I have a feeling that might have already happened," Natthar admitted. "I sure hope your theory about this raid is accurate, Dutch."

"No strategy is perfect," Dutch confessed. "It's all up to your minister now. Go with Revy, Your Highness. Lotton and Shen, go with them."

Revy reluctantly agreed. Lotton and Shen jogged towards the building closest to the important Middle Court, the Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins. Revy and Princess Natthar followed them. Rico and Dutch quickly established an ambush position on the road between the Bureau of The Royal Household and Sala Luk Khum Nai buildings. Rico dropped on the ground, unfolding the bipod of his 249 and setting it on the ground. Dutch took cover on the other side, holding fire as they let the jeeps come close.

"Now!" Dutch said, firing his USAS-12 in full auto, blasting the windshield of the lead jeep with buckshot. The driver and his passenger were instantly killed, their heads blown like watermelons. The jeep kept going. Rico fired a long burst, taking out the right tire. The jeep tumbled head over heels as more bullets slammed on it. One pierced the gas tank and the vehicle exploded in a ball of flames.

The terrorists were caught off guard. They jumped out of the second jeep and opened fire. Rico stitched rounds through them. Dutch tossed a grenade, sending it under the jeep. The force of the blast killed all the survivors instantly.

"I guess we slowed them down," Rico remarked as he stood up and Dutch jogged beside him.

"Yeah," the Lagoon leader agreed. "A lot of them have been slowed down forever."


	8. Chapter 8

8

_Government House, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 20:20 hrs_

"I warned you about what would happen if you attacked us," Colonel Trang hissed on the monitor. "Do you think I won't kill more hostages?"

"We didn't send them, Colonel," General Janjarhatsin replied. "They are not Thai police or soldiers. They're not acting from our government orders."

"You expect me to believe this?" Trang spat. "How did they get through your soldiers?"

"The same way they got past your men on the wall," Janjarhatsin answered. "They sabotaged one of our tanks to distract us and your men. That's when they scaled the wall. Some of our soldiers saw them. They are very cleaver and very quick, and a small force, probably six or seven, eight at most."

Trang smirked. "Eight men? You claim only eight men have dared to attack us? Who are they? Special Forces?"

"You are once a Thai soldier, Trang," Janjarhatsin countered. "You know what our capabilities are. Besides we won't risk the life of our king."

"You are sealing your doom."

"Because of eight lunatics?" Janjarhatsin bluffed. "We're trying to negotiate the terms you gave us. We're trying to raise the ransom money and we are in the process of withdrawing troops from the border. Believe me, we're as upset about those invaders as you are."

"Really?" Trang laughed. "They aren't killing your troops, aren't they?"

"So find the bastards and kill them," the general invited. "Call us back when you succeed, so we can all sigh with relief together."

Silence followed Janjarhatsin's remark. The general gripped the arm rest of his chair. He gazed up at the worried face around him, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Wichaidit.

"All right," Trang declared. "We'll take care of the invaders. But I warn you, if any more commandos breach the wall, or even at a mere hint of your forces going on the offensive, then we will retaliate with no mercy."

Trang's image disappeared.

Minister Wichaidit shook his head. "You could have doomed the life our future queen."

"General, you did the right thing," Rock said on the other screen. "Dutch won't let the princess die."

"Your friends are good," Janjarhatsin admitted. "They probably wiped out a small chunk of Trang's men."

"And yet you told that bastard to kill them," Wichaidit remarked.

"He'd try to do that anyway. We can only pray he doesn't succeed."

* * *

_Chakti Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 20:30 hrs_

Colonel Trang paced across the ornate designs on the floor of Phra Thinang Chakti Maha Prasat. The great hall was magnificent. Its wall was lined with priceless paintings, tapestries and sculptures. The throne hall is the most impressive. Built by King Rama V in 1876, it was constructed in an eclectic style, a blend of Thai and European (more specifically Renaissance or Italianate) styles. The lower part of the structure is European, while the upper part is in Thai-styled green and orange tiled roofs and golden spires or _prasats_. The hostages were kept on the large ballroom while the throne room was converted into a military headquarters. Video conference equipment were set up, racks of weapons lined the wall.

"We should kill the hostages," Kham urged.

Trang shook his head. "Our situation isn't desperate. Besides, if we kill them, the soldiers would have no qualms in storming the palace and killing each and every one of us."

"But they already sent a team of commandos in!" Kham snapped.

"Six or eight men," Trang sighed. "Not six or eight hundred."

"Don't you remember what happened to your lover, Widi Sukandar?" Kham inquired.

Trang looked at Kham with sharp eyes. "She is not my lover. She is merely my tool to get rich."

"She and her men of 200 armed pirates were wiped out by a small team of mercenaries, less than ten men…and women. The devils went through them like hay."

"And you think this is the same commando team?" Trang sighed. "That's absurd. Sukandar was killed in Roanapur, not here in Bangkok. And even if they are, our soldiers are better armed and trained than Sukandar's men."

"We have to find and kill those butchers," Kham said, shaking his head in despair.

"We will," Trang assured her. "Our patrols are stalking them at this very moment. Even better, Sato's ninjas are hunting them as well. No one can hide from them."

"You better be right." Kham stormed out of the hall.

Trang sat wearily. Something hit him when Kham mentioned Widi Sukandar, the ever-beautiful pirate queen of Southeast Asia. Trang was still a major when he met the voluptuous, fiery woman in the streets of Chiang Mai. What he told Kham was true, he used Sukandar to rich. But undeniably, Trang was also seduced by the Indonesian beauty.

They began an illegal relationship, both personal and in business. Trang supplied Sukandar with high-tech weapons, including H&K G-36 rifles intended to be for the Royal Thai Special Forces. In turn, Sukandar gives Trang a share of her plunders in the sea. The pirate queen even gave Trang an expensive yacht, taken by her from a Vietnamese businessman.

On the last day they talked, Sukandar boasted she would destroy Roanapur, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore. Trang didn't believe her; he already felt Sukandar's sanity slowly slipping away. But Sukandar insisted in showing her gratitude, promising to give Trang a rare WWII PT boat.

But Sukandar was killed before it happened. In a way, it was beneficial for Trang. The government had started investigating corruption in the military; many suspected Trang but didn't have solid proof. The death of Sukandar tied the loose end. However, Trang was still devastated by her death, and he vowed that one day, he will hunt and kill all those responsible.

Sukandar was his gem, a mystic force that controlled his destiny. It was Sukandar that inspired him to plan the heist at the Grand Palace. If she wasn't killed, she and Trang could have lived a comfortable and peaceful life in a faraway place. But those bastards took her life. If they are the same ones that are now in the palace, then Trang would make sure they will die by his hands.

"Good evening, Trang-san," Sato announced softly. The ninja is standing on the window ledge.

"You don't have to impressed me by sneaking up behind," Trang mused. "Why aren't you looking for the men who infiltrated the palace? I'm sure they'd enjoy your sneaky tricks."

"I sent out most of my men to take care of that," the ninja replied. "It's not a problem, even if Kham thinks it is."

"So you heard our conversation? Then you know Kham is upset about this band of commandos. You sent your men against them armed only with swords."

"They aren't really ninjas yet," Sato explained. "They're trainees. Young recruits who are still learning the fundamentals of ninjutsu. They don't know how to use guns."

"Why the hell did you bring them in the first place?" Trang asked in disgust.

"Oh," Sato chuckled. "I thought some cannon fodder might be useful. Since we're going to gather up the wealth of the palace, we don't want to split the profits with too many individuals. That wouldn't be a wise business move, would it?"

"How large a percentage do you want?"

"I promise not to be greedy. As long as you remain generous."

Trang nodded. "I think we understand each other."

"Just an advice, Trang-san," the ninja said ominously. "Do not double-cross me."


	9. Chapter 9

9

_Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 20:55 hrs_

Crouching in the hedgerows in one of the palace's many gardens, Lagoon Team saw the enemy patrol approaching. The terrorist hunting party was more cautious than the first group had been. They did not cluster together but moved in a wide pattern to cover more area and to provide less of a target. They also brought heavy equipment.

A pair of headlamps shone in the darkness, but they are higher and more spaced apart than normal vehicles. Four huge tires rumbled slowly on the road. A turret in top of the box-like vehicle is tracking everything in sight. In front of the turret is the menacing-looking gun barrel of a .50 caliber machine gun.

Dutch watched them using his NVG goggles. "They got serious firepower," he whispered. "GKN Simba armored personnel carrier. Fifty caliber on top."

Natthar shook her head. "Those things are bad news." She knew the Simbas are lightly armored, designed to block 7.62mm rounds on the front and 5.56mm on the sides. They are no match against antitank rockets and even .50 caliber machine guns, but the Lagoon Team is not carrying heavy weapons except for Revy's 203.

And that .50 caliber the Simba's packing could slice through cement like paper; the hedgerows are nothing to it.

"Revy, did you pack an AP grenade?" Dutch asked.

Revy shook her head. "I only have HEDP's."

"We'll improvise. We also need to take a couple of them alive."

"They might not be very obliging," Lotton said.

"So are we," Shenhua replied with a shrug. In spite of the danger, she found time to check her face on the mirror.

"Why do we need to take a prisoner anyway?" Revy asked.

Natthar looked at Revy like she was born yesterday. "We need to know the location of the hostages, of course."

Shen hid her compact. "If we get one, I can make him talk."

Natthar shook her head. "Torture is against the law…"

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Shen whispered hard, looking straight at the princess' eyes. "Laws are now out of the window."

"We'll just need one," Dutch said. "Then we can—."

Dutch's sentence was cut off when Rico's machine gun barked. Bullets coughed rapidly from the 249 as the priest opened fire on a trio of terrorists who had entered the garden from behind. Fortunately, he was watching the read while the others concentrated on the enemy in the street.

Three 5.56mm slugs punched into one terrorist's solar plexus and traveled upward to savage his heart. Rico shifted his aim and sliced more rounds on the chest of another gunman. The third man dropped to one knee and aimed his M-16 at Rico's muzzle flash. Revy's 416 slammed a volley of lead into the terrorist's torso. The impact hurled him backward. Natthar also fired her M4, nailing the flunky with three shots more in the belly. He was very, very dead by the time he hit the ground.

"Take cover!" Dutch bellowed. The Lagoon Team dashed towards the Pavilion of Regalia building as .50 caliber on the Simba roared. Seven hundred grain bullets blew leaves and branches to pieces. The other terrorists joined in, obliterating the garden in a shower of lead.

The Lagoon Team took cover behind concrete pillars are rounds screamed all over them. Bullets smashed on the masonry, showering them with white powder.

"Fuck! My make up!" Shen screamed as fragments rained on her. Fifty caliber slugs turned the pillars to large chunks of cement.

"We got to get out of here!" Dutch shouted above the roar of gunfire.

Revy looked around and saw the door of the museum. "Cover me!" she shouted as she bolted towards it. Natthar followed her. "Stay back, bitch!" Revy thundered.

"Fuck you, whore!" Natthar growled as she dropped and slid on the marble floor. More bullets smacked around her as she reached the door. Revy was already there, firing backwards to kept the enemy down. She pulled the door knob but the heavy timber doors are locked shut.

Natthar took out her Ipad Mini. "I'll open it-."

Revy aimed the 416 on the lock and fired a burst. She kicked the door open and rolled inside. Natthar followed. "Dutch! Fall back!" she yelled.

The Simba moved forward and now trained its machine gun on the museum building. Heavy caliber slugs rained on the museum, breaking every window and destroying many of the artifacts and display inside. Dutch, Rico, Shenhua and Lotton rushed inside the dark interior and dropped to the floor.

The gunfire ceased.

The terrorist leader shouted orders. They massed in the front and cautiously entered through the door. They shone flashlights inside, careful but fairly certain the invaders were pulverized by the Simba's bombardment. Glass and concrete chips crunched under their boots. They are not accustomed to night fighting and only rely on their lamps.

The Lagoon Team owned the darkness. With NVG's they could clearly see the terrorists entering the building. Revy poked her carbine and triggered it. A three-round burst smashed into the lead Thai's face, punched his brain into oblivion and shattered the back of his skull. Revy charge and fired again, taking out two enemies, their bodies contorted into a hideous dance of death.

The other terrorists fired blindly in the darkness. But Revy was already gone. Dutch suddenly appeared behind and fired his USAS-12. The shotgun's autofire was deafening inside the enclosed space. Men were reduced to hamburger as buckshot pulped their bodies to unrecognizable mush. The survivors retreated and took cover behind display cases, terrified to death by Dutch's awesome weapon.

Lotton's 417 erupted from the darkness. The rifle was set in three-shot burst. A Burmese gunman's head snapped back as three slugs punctured his forehead. His companion gasped in horror as his comrade collapsed. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his chest. The terrorist looked down and saw a shaft sticking on his shoulder. He reached for the shaft but suddenly he felt nothing at all. The Burmese never knew what hit him.

Shenhua quickly reloaded her Barnett crossbow. She aimed at the terrorist taking cover behind a shattered pedestal triggered the weapon. The bolt hit the flunky in the neck, a sure-kill shot but the cyanide on the tip ensured that the terrorist would die almost instantly.

Shen dropped the crossbow and attacked with an e-nep knife on hand. She raised the knife and stamped the butt of the pommel between the shoulder blades of the closest opponent. The Burmese groaned and fell on his face as the other man turned. He saw a flash of steel and felt something strike his neck. The terrorist's head flew off. Shen turned and kicked the first man on the head, knocking him unconscious.

Revy saw more terrorists rushing on the door. She didn't hesitate, raising the 416 and triggering the 203. The grenade exploded and wiped out four men, their mutilated corpses strung like so many stones.

"Let's move," Dutch ordered. "We'll be trapped here."

"I took one alive," Shen reported.

"Follow me," Natthar said, running deep inside the dark museum.


	10. Chapter 10

10

_Chakti Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 21:00 hrs_

"I tell you, I hear shooting and explosions outside," Minister of Finance Saikua rasped as he pressed his ear against the wall. "What the hell is going on?"

Saikua along with 82 hostages were held inside the large ballroom of the throne room. No guards were posted inside but armed terrorists are guarding outside the ornate hardwood doors. The hostages are hunkered; many of them were injured when tried to fight the brutal captors. If there is any consolation, many hostages were already released. They were also given food and medication. What is left are the high ranking military and government officials.

The king was also absent. He was taken earlier by Trang. No one knows if he still alive. His actress wife was crying and was being comforted by other hostages.

"Prime Minister," Saikua reported to PM Wongsamut, who is the de facto leader of the hostages. "I'm very certain that I heard gunshots. Perhaps the terrorists lied about releasing some of our people. Perhaps they are shooting them-."

"That is not very likely," Captain Porngarunatikul assured him. The tall, handsome young captain is the highest ranking Royal Guard captured. He is wounded in the head but his mind is still clear. "What point would it serve? It's possible a rescue attempt was launched. The terrorists might be battling with soldiers and police at this very moment."

"Rescue team?" Minister of Defense Prompat looked hopeful. "I want to see these kidnappers get blown to hell."

"Those idiots are going to get us killed," PM Wongsamut said.

"But at least we have a chance," Saikua said.

"Our only chance is to Wichaidit to give what they wanted," Wongsamut snapped.

Porngarunatikul leaned in and whispered. "Gentlemen, it's a long shot, but if we could find a way to organize and fight back-."

"Are you crazy?" Wongsamut said. "We are not trained to fight like you, Captain!"

"But we can surprise them," the captain argued. "That is a formidable advantage in combat. We could link up with the rescuers…"

"Enough, Captain," Prompat said. "This room is not secure."

"This room is soundproof, completely shielded…"

"He's right, Captain," Wongsamut said. "Those bastards wouldn't get the palace without somebody's help."

Porngarunatikul looked surprised. "Are you saying sir, that there is a traitor?"

"Very possibly, somebody in this room."

* * *

_Outside Grand Palace_

_Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday April 4, 21:05 hrs_

"Rock, we have trouble," Benny announced.

Rock stood up from his stool and looked at the banks of LCD screens in the wall. "What is it?" he asked.

Benny pointed at a monitor with six blinking lights. "Our guys are trapped inside the Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins. There is an APC outside, and the building is now surrounded by the enemy."

The two Lagoon support crew are still holed up in their command van. They are tracking every move of the strike team, as well as the terrorists inside the complex. All six of the Lagoon crew is equipped with GPS trackers that register on the monitor as bleeps. The complex is also under round the clock surveillance from the ground and air, providing real time data for the mission controllers.

"Anything we can do?" asked Rock.

"I don't know. We don't have much here."

Rock smiled at him. "We have the Batman."

"That is still experimental," Benny complained.

"Well let's do an operational test here."

Benny concedes. "Very well." He stood up and looked outside the window. "I think we can launch it here…" He noticed several men approaching the van. At first he thought they were soldiers on patrol outside the perimeter, until he realized they are not wearing uniforms. "Uh..Rock?"

"Yeah?" Rock replied focusing on the monitor.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"No."

"I recommend a Mossberg."

Rock dove to the floor as he grabbed a Mossberg 500 shotgun from the wall. Benny also hit the deck at the stillness of the night erupted in gunfire. Bullets went through the aluminum body of the van like Swiss cheese, blasting glass equipment to oblivion. Debris rained on Rock and Benny but they managed to not get hit, however their computers were obliterated.

The door opened and a gunman rushed in, M-16 ready. He didn't see Rock on the floor. Rock triggered the shotgun. Buckshot smashed on the terrorist's chest, hurling him backward out of the door. Benny's Remington shotgun roared from behind. Glass crunched as buckshot blew the rear window open and the head of the gunman peeking outside.

Rock pumped the shotgun as more bullets zing inside the van. He aimed the shotgun on the fluorescent lamps and fired two shots, engulfing the van in darkness. The gunfire stopped.

Two men entered the door to check if their targets had been eliminated. One of them fumbled for a flashlight. As soon as he lit, Rock opened up. Rock held the trigger as he pumped the Mossberg again and again, slam-firing buckshot on the assailants. Both fell as steel balls perforated their bodies, reducing their insides to mush.

Benny looked outside. "They're gone, Rock," he reported, wiping a sweat from his brow. He removed his finger from the trigger, fearful that his uncontrollable shaking would accidentally discharge the weapon.

Suddenly, a black figure rose from behind Rock. Benny quickly saw the apparition and aimed his shotgun. But he held his fire when the figure slid a shiny metal blade at Rock's neck.

"Drop it," the ninja hissed in accented English.

Benny hesitated.

Rock tossed his shotgun away. The blade is only millimeters from his skin. One false move and the ninja would saw his throat. "Anata wa nihonjindesu ka?" Rock asked.

The ninja was startled to hear Rock speaking fluent Japanese.

"Watashi mo nihonjindesu," Rock continued.

"Anata ga nihonjindearu tame, watashi wa anata o korosu koto wa arimasen to wa omowanai," the ninja threaten.

"Fair enough," Rock muttered. His right hand flicked, a billy club dropping from his sleeve to his palm. The rod extended upward, blocking the sword blade. His right hand snaked to his shoulder holster and triggered the .38 caliber snub nose revolver without drawing it from leather. Rock felt his side burn from powder but he didn't care, the shriek of pain from the ninja is a welcoming sound. The sword dropped on the floor.

"Rock! Drop!" Benny shouted.

Rock hit the deck.

Benny triggered the shotgun. Double 0 buckshot slammed on the mortally wounded ninja, he spun around but still standing. Benny pumped the Remington, the unmistakable sound of ka-chunk as the shell loads is terrifying enough. Benny fired again, this time catching the ninja in the chest, steel balls pulping whatever internal organs remained intact.

"Die you bastard!" Benny yelled. The ninja started to collapse when Benny fired a third shot, blowing the ninja's head like a watermelon. What's left of the ninja crashed on the floor, unrecognizable.

"You okay, Rock," Benny asked, keeping his gun ready if there are more intruders.

"Yeah," Rock muttered. "Son of a bitch, how did that bastard sneaked behind me?"

"He was a ninja," Benny simply answered.

Rock surveyed the damage. "How are we going to support our guys inside?"

"I got an idea," Benny replied. "Let's go for a walk."

* * *

_Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 21:15 hrs_

Shenhua splashed water from her canteen on the face of the Burmese terrorist. The prisoner moaned as he regains consciousness and found himself in a dark room, a lamp lighting his face and he was surrounded by six armed, scary-looking individuals. He tried to move his arms but they are tied to a chair.

"I hope my Chinese friend didn't cause you brain damage," Revy remarked. "Cause I would."

"Who are you?" the prisoner asked.

"We are the one who's gonna ask questions," Shen said, taking out a kunai from her thigh. "What is your name?"

The Burmese didn't answer.

"For the sake of convenience, I shall call you Bok. I hope that's okay with you. Now, where were we?" Shen pointed the knife closer at the prisoner's cheek. "Who is your leader?"

The prisoner glared at Shen. Without another word she stabbed the knife on Bok's leg. The Burmese opened his mouth to scream in pain but Shen quickly covered his mouth. "Listen to me very carefully," Shen said menacingly. "I'm a nice girl, the one that you can date and fuck till morning. But what I don't like is being lied upon, because, I hate liars. You know what I do with liars? I castrate them alive. Just ask my last ex-boyfriend."

Revy looked at Lotton. "You got your hands full on this one," she chuckled.

"Sod off," Lotton growled.

"Now let's do this again," Shen continued. "Who is your leader?"

"Kham…his name is Kham!" the man said.

"I know him," Natthar said. "He is the leader of a separatist movement in the border."

"Where are the hostages?" Shen asked.

"I…don't know…" the prisoner rasped.

Shen pushed the kunai deeper, delivering insane amount of pain on Bok's body. "I'm getting tired, Bok," Shen said.

"Okay…okay…stop please…" Bok begged. "I'll tell you what you want to know!"

"Where are the hostages?"

"They are….kept in the Chakti Maha Prasat. Except for the king, he was kept somewhere else. I swear I don't know."

"Why are you helping Trang?" asked Natthar.

"He…he promised to give us money for our cause, our leader believe him. But I have my doubts."

"Why is that?" Dutch asked, suddenly curious.

"Trang knows your government won't give 1 billion dollars. He's planning something else to get money."

It doesn't take a genius to know what this is all about. "Trang is after the treasures inside the palace," Dutch deduced.

"Is he insane?" Natthar exploded. "Thailand is going to lose part of its national heritage!"

"Wait," Lotton interjected. "Something doesn't make sense. How is he planning to take the treasures out of the palace and out of Bangkok? The army surrounded this place up tight."

"He's planning to use trucks," Bok said. "Trang would ask the government to provide large vehicles. The treasures would be loaded on the trucks with a few high-ranking hostages. The trucks will be driven to the airport where a plane is waiting to take the treasures to a country with no extradition."

"The art from the palace is irreplaceable," Natthar said. "They would be worth millions to the black market. But no price tag can be placed on the loss to the world if such historical masterpieces is hidden from the public or destroyed in a rash action."

"There is one more thing," Bok said. "Trang has a trump card. I don't know exactly what, but I saw his men unloading drums of chemicals from the trucks. They could be planting a huge explosive device."

"Fuck," Dutch cursed.

"What do we do now?" Lotton asked.

"Simple," Revy answered. "We kill them all before they kill us."

* * *

**I would like to take this opportunity to thank you guys for the wonderful reviews. However I will set the record straight: there will be no lemon scenes in this story, as you can see they are in a middle of a battle so there is no time for that, hehehe. But rest assured there will be more LottonXShen romantic moments.**

**And if you guys are wondering, no, Sukandar will not make an appearance because she is dead. But wait for the ending, because there will be an explosive revelation. -gene**


	11. Chapter 11

11

_Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 21:16 hrs_

"Nest come in," Dutch called on the radio. "Come in, Nest." He removed the radio mic in frustration. "They're not answering."

"There could be technical problems," Lotton said, easing Dutch's anxiety.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Revy said. The last time they lost contact with Rock, it was when he was kidnapped by Sukandar.

"Don't worry, Revy," Natthar assured her. "My soldiers are guarding their post."

Shenhua dressed the wound on Bok's thigh but kept him bind with plastic cuffs. She felt really bad in torturing a man, but she knew it had to be done. "What's the plan, guys?" she asked.

A shadow moved across the glass panes of a window above an ancient minting machine display. Glass and framework shattered as the dark shape burst through the window. The figure dropped behind the machine as automatic fire erupted from the window. The Lagoon Team dropped to the floor and took cover behind furniture and displays.

The door smashed open, and two Thai terrorists charged across the threshold. A bearded figure, probably a Burmese, remained at the doorway holding an Uzi in his fists. The man who had crashed through the window knelt by the minting machine with a Minebea PM-9 submachine gun held in combat readiness. His face was all but concealed by a gray hood and scarf mask.

"Shit!" Rico rasped. "We're surrounded and we've got a ninja in here with us!"

Bullets splintered the thick oak furniture he is using as cover and chopped plaster from the wall above. Rico aimed his M249 at the window and fired a burst at the gunmen. What glass remained was blasted away by a rain of 5.56mm slugs. One of the Thais who had entered the building fired his Uzi at Rico's direction. The flunky was not very experienced with the weapon, relying on spray-and-pray technique. Most of his shots went into the ceiling.

The other Thai leaned around a pillar and aimed an AK-47 towards the desk. He only exposed his head and shoulders, but that was enough for Lotton. The sniper didn't need divine intervention; he simply laid the crosshairs and tripped the trigger of his HK417. The Thai took a three-round burst to the face and fell on the marble floor, dead before he could even utter a scream.

The Burmese terrorist at the doorway fired his Uzi. Nine-mm bullets sprayed the room. Several pelted Lotton's cover but none struck him. Lotton lay low, unable to strike back for the moment. The enemy ninja rose up to aim his Minebea at the vulnerable Lotton. Revy saw the predicament of her comrade; she quickly fired a burst at the Japanese killer. 5.56mm slugs sparked against metal near the ninja. The masked assassin hastily retreated before Revy could land a lucky shot.

Dutch was stationed near the ninja. But he is on the direct line of fire at the doorway. The Lagoon leader fired his USAS-12, saturating the door with buckshot. Several .32 caliber steel balls ruptured the Burmese's chest, sending him tumbling out of a doorway. The first Thai gunman swung his Uzi at Dutch's direction.

Princess Natthar quickly hosed him down with M4 fire. Four 5.56mm messengers hammered through the Thai's sternum and rib cage, tumbling end to end as they went through flesh and breaking to many pieces as they hit bone. The bullets wrecked several vital organs including the heart and lungs. The terrorist sank into death.

The automatic fire from the window increased in an effort to keep the Lagoon Team pinned down long enough for the terrorists' reinforcements to arrive. Rico and Lotton returned fire. Bullets chewed at the ragged window frame and burned air above the heads of the terrorists as they ducked to avoid receiving high-velocity lobotomies.

Revy took the advantage of the lull. She took an M67 grenade from her belt, pulled the pin and popped the spoon. She waited for two seconds and then hurled the ball-shaped explosive through the window. The M67 exploded outside. Screams of surprise and pain filled the air as shrapnel cut through human flesh.

Shenhua drew her FN Five-seven pistol and fired it at the enemy ninja. Armor piercing bullets slammed into the wall. The Chinese girl had not expected to hit the Japanese killer but she hoped to get a reaction from the ninja. The tiny 5.7mm bullets didn't have much of a takedown power but hopefully the ninja would be exposed to Dutch's fearsome shotgun.

However, Shen didn't see any movement at the minting machine. Suddenly another Thai terrorist darted through the doorway. Shen swung her tiny pistol and squeezed the trigger as fast as she could, firing ten rounds in about a second. 5.7mm rounds stitched into the guy's torso, piercing vital organs and killing him instantly.

"More company outside!" Natthar shouted.

It would not take long for the terrorists to realize that the easiest and safest way to deal with their opponents was to simply blow up the building or lob grenades. If the Lagoon Team didn't act quickly, the museum would be their tomb.

Revy glanced at the princess. Natthar nodded, taking out a grenade from her belt. Revy took another M67 from her own belt. The two Amazons pulled the pins and threw the miniblasters through the windows at the enemy lurking outside. Explosions roared in response.

Dutch took an M67 from his belt and pulled the pin as he prepared to throw the grenade through the open doorway. Without warning, a powerful grip seized the American's left arm and pulled it onto the frame of the minting machine. The grenade fell from his hand and rolled into the middle of the room.

Shen quickly saw the predicament. If that grenade explodes, they will all be dead. She broke cover and dash towards the grenade. The martial artist kicked the grenade and sent it flying through the open doorway. A split second later, the grenade exploded. The screams of agony coming from the outside proved that her effort had not been in vain.

Dutch was engaged in his own personal struggle for survival. The ninja seized the big American from behind. He slashed a tanto knife at Dutch's throat but the Lagoon commander raised his USAS-12 to protect his neck. The blade struck the steel barrel instead of flesh. Dutch's elbow pumped backwards. The blow struck the ninja's masked face. Dutch whirled to face his attacker. The ninja held the knife in the right hand and the Minebea subgun in his left. Dutch's boot lashed out and kicked the machine pistol from the opponent's hand.

The ninja feinted a stab at Dutch's face. The American badass weaved away from the knife blade, realizing the move was an attempt to set him up for the next stroke. Japanese knife fighters and fencers favor cuts over stabs. The ninja raised the tanto and slashed at Dutch's neck. The American dodged the cut and swiftly chopped the side of his hand across the opponent's wrist. The knife fell from the killer's hand.

The ninja lashed a foot-sword kick at Dutch's abdomen. The Lagoon leader doubled up with a groan as his opponent drew a manrikikusari from his gi. A chain weapon with two weighed ends, the manrikikusari is a favorite ninja assassination tool. The Japanese swung the chain in a loop at Dutch's head, obviously planning to use the weapon as a garrote to throttle the American.

Dutch raised his left arm. The limb blocked the chain, it circles in the air and wrapped itself on Dutch's arm. The ninja hooked an elbow stroke at Dutch's temple, but the black badass right hand snaked to his back, drawing his massive Hibben bowie knife. He jammed the foot-long blade into the ninja's solar plexus as the elbow slammed into the side of his head. White hot pain filled the American's skull but he buried the knife to its hilt.

The ninja went limp. Dutch slashed the Hibben sideways, disemboweling the ninja. He fell on the floors, blood and guts sticking out from a horrible wound.

"Dutch, are you all right?" Natthar called as she hurried to Dutch.

"I could use an aspirin," the Lagoon boss replied, untangling the chain from his arm. "I'm lucky he didn't just shoot me in the back. Guess he thought he could take me quietly with a knife."

"You got a nasty bruise," Lotton remarked. "Luckily the temple is surrounded by lots of solid bone. Still, better let me see to it."

"Later," Dutch replied, flicking the blood from his knife before resheating it. "We got to get out of here before they hit us again with full force."

Dutch gathered his USAS-12. Revy and Natthar dropped empty mags and reloaded their carbines. Shen looked back and saw Bok sprawled on the floor, blood pooling around him. Bullets from the terrorists struck him several times, with his hand bound on a chair, he didn't stand a chance. Shenhua offered a silent prayer to the gods.

The Lagoon team headed for the door. The ground beyond the building was littered with dead terrorists in large and small chunks. Their bodies had been torn to pieces by the grenades the commandos had lobbed outside at the unseen attackers. The scene was grisly.

"I pity our cleaners," Natthar muttered.


	12. Chapter 12

12

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 21:20 hrs_

"Those butchers are still alive!" Kham declared as he slammed the field telephone into its cradle. "This time they hit the Pavilion of Regalia! They managed to slip out without any of our people spotting them!"

"That means they are not far from our position," Colonel Trang remarked as he studied a large colored map of the Palace. "We got about thirty soldiers in the area. Order them to find these invaders and destroy them."

"They already tried that," Kham hissed through clenched teeth. "That's who the invaders just had a fight with. The bastards massacred them like flies."

This time, Trang is really worried, but he didn't show it to Kham. "We'll reinforce our defenses and double our efforts to find the enemy-."

"They are already reducing our numbers!" Kham stormed. "Let's blow this palace!"

"And commit mass suicide in the process?" Trang scoffed. "The situation is not desperate. True, we had underestimated those commandos; they are far more dangerous than I thought. But we must not throw our chances away."

"But they could be outside now! They're going to kill us all!"

"Kham," Trang said calmly. "You are panicking. A man who panics is dangerous. Not just to himself, but to others as well. If we blow up the palace, your cause will be lost, I promise you that. Trust me a little while longer. I have a plan to neutralize the band of hired killers who have disrupted our plans."

"I'm listening," the Burmese said simply.

"We still have the hostages. We simply execute five of them within the next half hour unless the invaders surrender. And then five more, then five more until the bastards surrender."

"And what if they don't?" Kham demanded.

"We will execute the king and blow the palace," Trang lied. When the situation becomes desperate, he is planning to kill Kham and escape with the king as his hostage, maybe take a treasure or two. Trang is smart, not suicidal like Kham.

"Very well," Kham agreed. "I'll pick the hostages to be executed."

"No," Trang replied. "I'll do it."

* * *

_Office of His Majesty's Private Secretary_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 21:30 hrs_

Terrorists swarmed over the outer court, searching for the mysterious commando team that wreaked havoc on their comrades at the Pavilion. Thai and Burmese troops probed the gardens, streets and buildings, but they failed to find the Lagoon Team.

The terrorists were unaware that their quarry had already moved to a new position and that the commandos now watched them from the top floor of the Office of His Majesty's Private Secretary building, just across a vast garden from Chakri Maha Prasat. The bodies of two terrorist sentries lay in the shadows, their throats slit.

The team is taking a quick rest. Most of them are checking their guns and ammo. Revy is eating crackers filled with peanut butter, while Shenhua is busy checking her face on the compact mirror.

"I still don't have contact with Rock and Benny," Dutch muttered. "We could really us their help now."

"Like you said, we have to improvise," Natthar remarked.

"We'd better split up," Dutch whispered. "We got three main targets and not much time to neutralize them. Rico, you know more about explosives than anyone of us. You come with me; we will take out the bomb."

"You got me, Dutch," Rico assured him.

"Your Highness," Dutch continued, looking at the princess. "You know this palace like the back of your hand. Concentrate with the hostages. Take Revy with you, she is our best fighter. I would think the terrorists are securing the hostages with a very large force. You two need to work together."

The two didn't answer but nodded in agreement. They may not get along, but Dutch's wisdom is true and his plan is sound.

"Shenhua, Lotton, you two climb the roofs and take out the sentries," Dutch said. "You may encounter ninjas, kill them with extreme prejudice. If you have the chance, go inside the Chakri and attack the terrorist HQ."

Shen smiled. "I would love that."

"All right," Dutch announced. "Let's do it. After we take out the bomb, we will hijack a truck to get the hostages out. We will launch flares to signal the rescue party outside the palace. Revy and Natthar, after you liberate the hostages, linked up with Shen and Lotton to attack the Chakri. Do not let Trang and Kham escape."

Lotton and Shenhua climbed out the window and disappeared into the darkness. They move silently on the tile roofs, hiding behind a large golden statue. Lotton consulted the map on his IPad as Shen attached climbing claws on her hands.

"Hey Lotton," Shen whispered.

"What is it?"

"What's gonna happen after this mission?"

Lotton looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well I'll get my money; I may start a new martial arts school. Maybe move out of the country. How about you?"

"I really don't know," Lotton said. "I don't have a family. Maybe I'll keep doing this."

"Aren't you tired of killing?" Shen asked seriously.

Lotton sighed. "Honestly, yes. But this is all I know."

Shen held Lotton's hand, careful not to stab it with her claws. "Come with me. We'll start a new life."

Lotton lit up. "Together?"

Shen nodded. "Yes. Together."

Lotton smiled. "You know, I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. I bought an apartment in Monaco near the beach front. I also have a Lamborghini and a yacht. Plus I have several millions of dollars in my Swiss bank account. After this mission, if we survive, we'll get more. I think we can live comfortably in peace."

Shenhua smiled too. "But first, we have to wrap it up here."

* * *

**Erratum: My eyes crossed on me again, the building where the hostages are kept is called CHAKRI Maha Prasat, not Chakti as referred to the previous chapters. My apologies. -gene**


	13. Chapter 13

13

_Government House_

_Bangkok, Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:00 hrs_

Colonel Trang's face appeared on the screen. He smirked sarcastically. "I have to congratulate you," he said. "The men you sent are very good. They killed many of my men."

Janjarhatsin stood up. "How many times do we have to tell you-."

"Enough!" Trang thundered. "I am tired of your antics. You will order those men to surrender to me."

"We don't have communication with them," Acting PM Wichaidit argued. That is true, their only link to the Garuda Team is through the command van, which was attacked and destroyed by Trang's men. The mercenary mission controller Rock and Benny disappeared, presumably dead.

"You will order those men to surrender," Trang insisted. "Or I will execute five hostages within the next thirty minutes."

"Wait!" Janjarhatsin bellowed but Trang's image disappears.

Janjarhatsin fell on his chair. "That bastard!" he cursed.

"Do we have any news about the Garuda Team?" Wichiadit asked hopefully.

"None, sir," an officer reported. "We haven't found Rock and his friend, as well."

Wichaidit looked at Janjarhatsin. "General, it's time to make a decision."

"Minister, the final say is yours. I am only a police general; I don't have control on the military."

"General Janjarhatsin is right," the attorney general commented. "In the absence of the king, the princess and the Prime Minister, the decision is yours, Minister Wichaidit."

"I need your opinion on this, General," Wichaidit insisted.

Janjarhatsin closed his eyes. "We are going to risk the lives of the hostages. We trusted the princess' decision and now it's gonna haunt us. It's time for us to take the situation back in our control. Minister, I am approving Operation Naresuan."

Wichaidit made his decision. "Patch me to our boys."

* * *

_Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base_

_North of Bangkok, Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:05 hrs_

The helicopter rotors are already spinning when the Acting Prime Minister gave the order. With some would describe as "organized chaos", soldiers from the Royal Thai Navy Seals special forces rushed to the waiting choppers at the well-lit tarmac. Ten heavily armed soldiers boarded each UH-1 Huey helicopter, with two pilots and a crew chief already waiting inside

The Seals are the most elite warriors in the Royal Thai military, trained to conduct counter-terrorist missions by their counterparts in the US Navy. They are also the best-equipped soldiers in the military. Their main weapons are Heckler and Koch G36 rifles, H&K UMP-45's submachine guns, and M4 SOPMOD carbines. Some are armed with KAC SR25 and H&K MSG-90 sniper rifles and Benelli semiauto shotguns. All are also armed with H&K USP and Glock 17 9mm pistols, plus extra magazines, grenades, explosives and breaching gear. The orders were clear: rescue the hostages and eliminate the terrorists.

The commando leader has his own order to his men: Don't take any terrorist alive. Everyone wants payback, for the country and the king.

The commandos are aggressively silent as six helicopters took off, heading to Bangkok.

* * *

_Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat rooftop_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:15 hrs_

Shen and Lotton halted.

Footfalls announced two Thai terrorists patrolling on the balcony. Shen stayed perfectly still, not making any sound. She was amazed that they were not discovered, the pair simply walked past below them.

The guns would alert the other terrorists, and Shen couldn't use her e-neps properly with climbing claws strapped on her hands. There is only one option. Lotton gasped in disbelief as Shenhua leaped from the roof and pounced on the unsuspecting terrorists like a leopard attacking its prey.

Shen struck like a wolverine, clawing one Thai in the upper back. The spikes pierced the nape of his neck and severed his spinal cord, killing him instantly. As he started to fall, Shen lunged on the second one. She swung her right fist into the face of the terrorist. Steel talons pierced orbital bone, skewering an eyeball and dragging it out of the socket. Shen's left hand ripped the guy's throat with her other claw.

Lotton landed behind her as Shen removed the talons from her hand. Lotton shook his head at the carnage caused by his girlfriend. Shen said a silent prayer.

"We better get down and go to the Chakri," Lotton suggested.

"Yeah we better…" Shen stopped in midsentence.

"What is it?" asked Lotton.

Shen held up a finger, encouraging Lotton to listen. A second later, Lotton heard it too. The faint sounds of whispers coming from the other side of a wooden door. They were trapped in the balcony, with God knows how many terrorists waiting for them.

Lotton soundlessly took out a small, tube-like device about a foot long from his pack. A modified Israeli rifle grenade, the warhead could be adjusted to explode at close or long range proximity. Lotton adjusted it to barely ten feet, very dangerous but hopefully the thick timber door would block shrapnel. He slid the grenade into the barrel of the HK417, removed the magazine and inserted a special 7.62mm "trigger" round. Shen took cover as Lotton aimed the rifle at the door.

He pulled the trigger. The rifle fired the grenade with a thump, the recoil kicking Lotton's shoulder like a Muay Thai strike. The grenade sailed into the air as Lotton dropped to the marble floor. It pierced wood like it was made from tissue paper and exploded inside. Screams of agony filled the building as shrapnel cut through human flesh. Amazingly, none leaked outside to hurt either Lotton or Shenhua.

The two warriors quickly rushed inside, leaping among the charred bodies and body parts. A half a dozen dazed survivors were on the floor, trying to shake away the effect of the explosion. Five of them wear ninja uniforms. Lotton aimed the 417 into the most potent threat, a Thai mercenary with an M-16 rifle. Three 7.62mm rounds ripped the terrorist's face and chest open, his body joining his dead comrades.

Three more terrorists-hating slugs slammed into the nearest enemy ninja. The man clawed at his chest and belly as he tumbles forward. The other four ninjas froze in their tracks. Two of them raised their hands in surrender. The other two reached for their swords. None carried firearms.

"Chotto mate kudasai!" Shen snapped in perfect Japanese she stepped forward, her right hand resting on the hilt of her e-nep knife.

"What are you doing?" Lotton asked in alarm.

"I'll talk to them," Shen replied as he continued to approach the group.

"Haiiii!" a black-glad figure cried as he drew his sword, raised it overhead and attacked.

Shen's e-nep streaked from its sheath in a cross-draw as she stepped forward. The blade sliced into the enemy ninja's chest before the man could complete his sword stroke. The mortally wounded man was on his way to the ground as Shen raised her knife in a two-hand grip.

Another ninja struck at Shen with his sword. The blade missed as Shen weaved aside and slashed a quick diagonal stroke. The sharp blade of the e-nep cut the attacker on the side of the neck, severing his carotid and jugular. Blood spurted from the lethal wound as the Japanese collapsed backwards.

A third ninja terrorist swung his sword at Shen's head. The Chinese's e-nep blocked the wakizashi. Shen's left hand suddenly slapped the unsharpened edge of her knife. She pivoted with the movement. The blade cut in an unexpected direction, and the ninja didn't have the time to counter or dodge. Sharp Thailand steel struck the ninja under the chin. The terrorist staggered backward, his throat a bloody mess.

The last ninja tried to attack Shen from behind. The Chinese hand flicked, throwing the e-nep like a Frisbee. The side-spinning blade caught the Japanese in the neck. His head flew away as the decapitated corpse fell to the floor.

"You were going to talk with them?" Lotton mused. "They tell you anything?"

"Yes," Shen replied as she recovered her e-nep. "These guys are yahoos. They are not real ninjas."

"Let's go to the roof," Lotton suggested.

The two commandos ran on the corridor and climbed the carpeted stairs. They didn't have the time to marvel at the beautiful tapestries and statues around them. No terrorist in sight, they quickly but stealthily reached the last floor. Lotton slowly opened the door and peeked out.

Four terrorists are on the rooftop. Two are guarding their post while two are busy tinkering with a large machine installed on the roof behind a large golden Buddha. Lotton surveyed them as Shen watched his back.

The machine is obviously an anti-air missile launcher. It has a central box-like hub and two tubes on each side. A terrorist operates a laptop computer and a joystick to control the launcher, ready to point it at any threat. Lotton's stomach crunched. The terrorists are obviously more sophisticated and prepared than they had expected.

"What is it, Lotton?" Shen asked.

"It's an Irish Thor missile launcher," Lotton explained. "Primarily designed as an anti-aircraft weapon, it could launch four Starstreak missiles at low-flying aircraft, primarily…" Lotton stopped. He looked at Shen. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" Shen asked, looking puzzled.

"Stop breathing for a second."

Shen did, and a second later she heard it, the unmistakable distant chopping sound of helicopters approaching. This is not normal; the princess specifically ordered the military not to fly anything near the palace while the Lagoon team is inside. Shen's blood turned to ice when she realized what Lotton had just said earlier. "Oh my God," she rasped.

Lotton snapped his radio to his mouth. "Garuda Two, Garuda Three, can you hear me?"

"Roger, Garuda One," Dutch answered.

"Dutch, we got trouble, we got big, big trouble!"

"Calm down Lotton," Princess Natthar urged on the other line. "What is it?"

"Trang has installed a Thor missile system on top of the Dusit. There could be more elsewhere. And…we could hear choppers approaching. Someone ordered an air assault."

"Fuck!" Dutch swore. "This is not good."

"They would be slaughtered by those missiles!" Natthar voiced, desperation evident on her voice.

"Can you do something, Lotton?" Dutch asked.

"We can try to disable this launcher, but like I said, there could be more."

"Do it, Lotton!" Natthar ordered.

"Roger that."

Lotton peeked on the opening, poking the muzzle of the 417, setting the crosshairs of the scope on the head of the terrorist in the controls. He triggered the weapon. Downrange, the terrorist's head erupted in blood, spilling blood and brains on his laptop.

The three terrorist guards quickly took cover behind the Buddha and opened fire at the door. Bullets slammed and pierced on the wood, driving Lotton and Shen back to cover behind a concrete wall. Lotton returned fire, firing the 417 in three-shot burst. 7.62mm bullets hit the Buddha, chipping concrete and gold paint. Shen pointed her FN Five-seven pistol and fired quick shots, all hitting something else instead of flesh.

Lotton's 417 locked empty. There are no more spare mags left. "I'm out!" he announced as he dropped the rifle and drew his Smith and Wesson Military & Police pistol. He fired the gun, powerful .357 SIG rounds smashing large chunks out of the statue. He took cover as more enemy rounds hit the doorway. Lotton changed mags as Shen fired back. Small caliber rounds didn't do much damage but hopefully one would get lucky. It did, a terrorist crumpled as a 5.7mm pierced his right shoulder.

The wounded man crawled on the floor towards the laptop. He grabbed the joystick and flipped the safety cover. The Thor launcher swung towards the doorway. It didn't take a genius to know what he's planning to do. The number one tube exploded open as compressed gas forced the missile out.

Shen threw her e-nep. The blade spun in the air and covered the distance in milliseconds. The blade struck the nosecone of the Starstreak missile. The missile swerve as the solid rocket fuel ignited, pushing the missile at supersonic speed. It missed the doorway by millimeters and slammed on one of the golden chakri spires, exploding in a shower of fire.

Lotton didn't have time to marvel at Shen's incredible feat. He rolled in the ground, coming up with his M&P held at a steady Weaver two-hand combat grip. He had a perfect line of sight at the two terrorists behind the Buddha. Lotton tripped the trigger. A round hole appeared on the forehead of the Thai, his brains splattering on his comrade. Lotton fired again, catching the second man in the jaw.

Lotton aimed his gun at the wounded terrorist on the Thor controls. He didn't give the man the chance to launch another missile. Two shots from the M&P and the terrorist slumped dead.

But at that time, the twack twack of the helicopters are now louder. Shen and Lotton looked up and saw black Hueys descending on the palace. They watched helplessly as a contrail of fire flew from top of the Phra Thinang Phiman Rattaya and rushed towards the formation of helicopters.

The lead chopper saw the threat and tried to do evasive action but the Starstreak missile is flying at Mach 3 guided by radar emissions from the missile itself. The nosecone splits in the air, launching three small missiles. The micromissiles, barely a foot long in length and an inch in diameter, struck the helicopter. Tungsten pierced thin aluminum and exploded inside, blowing the UH-1 and the Seals inside into oblivion.

Another missile launched from the Thor system and tracked the chopper in the rear of the formation. The pilot is luckier; he still had the distance to maneuver. But one of the Starstreak micromissiles clipped and exploded the Huey's tail, destroying the tail rotor. The chopper spun uncontrollably as it rapidly descended on the palace grounds. A second later the belly of the chopper smashed on the garden infront of the Chakri Maha Prasat. The rotor blades dug on the ground and ripped to shreds, sending steel at many directions.

Lotton rushed towards the control of the Thor launcher. He didn't know how to operate it but it would be better to do something than let the soldiers get slaughtered. The second Thor launcher fired another missile, shooting another Huey out of the sky. Lotton swung the joystick, aiming his commandeered launcher at the top of Phiman Rattaya. He pressed the button. The Thor shuddered as all three remaining missiles leaped from their launchers and flew straight and true. The top of the Phiman Rattaya exploded in a great fire, lighting up the night sky. Lotton surveyed the damage. The entire rooftop of the neighboring building is now on fire.

Shen opened her compact and checked her face in the mirror.


	14. Chapter 14

14

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:20 hrs_

"Amazing," Kham marveled as the helicopters bugged out, the sound of their rotors diminishing in the night sky.

"Now you know they can't do anything to us," Trang assured him. "Even if they want to."

"You didn't tell me you brought surface to air missiles," Kham said, sarcasm filled his voice.

"You didn't ask," Trang answered. "We took out three choppers. I'm sure they won't do that again anytime soon."

A Thai mercenary entered the room. "Colonel, we lost both Thor launchers."

"What?" Trang asked, wondering if he heard it correctly.

"Thor number one was attacked, number two was blown to bits," the terrorist continued. "I sent men to the Number One, they four dead bodies and the all the vital equipment is smashed beyond repair."

"Son of a bitch!" Trang swore in anger.

"It's those commandos again," Kham concluded. "They are the ones that destroyed the launchers, I'm sure of it! Let's execute the hostages and send a message to those bastards!"

Trang has no choice but to agree.

* * *

_Phra Thinang Aphorn Phimok Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:20 hrs_

Three men stumbled out of the wrecked helicopter in the garden. They pulled another man gravely wounded from the crash site. The Seals kept their guns ready to counter any threat.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from all sides. Two Seals were immediately cut down. The two remaining took cover and fired back but they were bombarded from every direction. Within seconds, the two survivors were dead.

Hiding behind a pillar in a dark corridor in the Aphorn Phimok building, Princess Natthar saw the murder of the soldiers in cold blood. Anger boiled on her body. She stepped forward, M4 ready.

"What are you doing?" Revy asked.

"I'm gonna help those men," Natthar answered, not looking at Revy.

"They're dead; there is nothing you can do."

"You don't know that!" Natthar snapped.

Revy blocked her path. "You step out there, you'll be dead."

"Those are MY men!" the princess insisted, her eyes hard as marbles.

"And you think you can help them by getting yourself killed?" Revy asked. "Are you really that stupid?"

"Don't you dare disrespect me. I am the princess of this country!"

"You are nothing to me!" Revy snapped. "If you want to die, fine by me. But I will not let you compromise our mission with you stupid actions."

"Step aside, Revy," Natthar ordered.

"Why don't you make me?" Revy slid her HK416 onto her back and spread her arms wide.

Natthar did the same thing with her M4. Without a warning, the princess pushed Revy on a wall. Her back connected with concrete, the steel frame of her rifle digging deep. Natthar followed up with a punch of the stomach. Revy groaned as Natthar grabbed her hair in an attempt to slam it on the wall.

Revy fist swung in a wide arc, catching Natthar in the face. She pounced and hit the princess with an uppercut to the belly. Natthar stepped back in pain but she fired a right cross that hit Revy in the temple, sending shock waves of pain signals on the American's brain. Revy sank to her knees.

Natthar attempted to grab Revy's arm but the Lagoon fighter hit the princess with another upper cut to the kidney. Revy stood up and shook her head to clear it. She then grabbed both of Natthar's forearms. Revy's head snapped forward, her superhard skull honed by years of training and experience connected with Natthar's forehead. The headbutt sent the princess reeling. Revy followed up with a kick, the sole of her boot driving into Natthar's meat section. Natthar was hurled backwards and hit a concrete wall with full force.

But the princess is fueled by anger and adrenalin. She attacked and fired her own Muay Thai kick, hard shin muscles connecting with Revy's belly. Natthar spun and executed a roundhouse kick. Her feet hit the 416 on Revy's back, saving the American from getting her spine snapped but she was forced face-first on a wall. Natthar raised her knee to strike at Revy's back.

The Lagoon fighter quickly moved out of the way. Natthar's knee hit the wall. She groaned in pain, luckily her commando knee pads and Muay Thai training prevented her kneecap from getting split into two. Revy sidestepped and raised both her hands, fists clench, challenging the princess to make a move.

Natthar adopted a Muay Thai stance, elbows and knees ready to strike.

Revy attacked first, punching a southpaw cross. Natthar blocked it with her forearm. Revy's right swung wide, but the tactic is already registered with the princess' warning system. She swatted the hand and hit Revy's face with her left fist. Revy stumbled, groggy from the move. Natthar grabbed her shoulders and attempted to strike a knee to Revy's head. Revy covered her face with her forearms, blocking the knee. Natthar fired again, this time lower and caught Revy in the belly.

The pain was excruciating, but Revy channeled the pain to her advantage. She grabbed Natthar and sent her back smashing on a wall again. The princess grunted, not sure what had hit her. Revy didn't let her gain the upper again; she pummeled Natthar with punches to the head, and then hit her own Muay Thai knee strike on the princess' stomach. Nathar groaned. Revy stepped back and lowered her legs to pump more energy, then executed a full-powered right cross aiming at Natthar's face.

Natthar suddenly leaped into the air. Revy's arm hit the princess' armpit. Natthar clamped Revy's arm on her armpit and punched the American in the face. Revy was incensed, she kicks the princess in the belly again; a weak one but it was enough to release the lock. The two traded punches and kicks. Revy spun and hit a massive right on Natthar's jaw.

Natthar suddenly spun and swung her arm. The elbow crashed on Revy's skull. Natthar grabbed her opponent's forearm again and drove a knee to Revy's chest. Revy folded in the blow. Natthar then stomped the American's right leg. Revy crashed on one knee.

Natthar grabbed Revy's right arm and pulled it, clamping it between her legs. She then jumped, pulling the arm and sending Revy head over heels. They both crashed on the floor. Natthar trapped Revy's arm in a cross armbar. Revy's joints sent pain messages as the princess applied pressure.

Desperate times call for desperate actions. Revy's mouth opened and bit hard, sinking her teeth on Natthar's leg. The princess screamed in pain as she released the American. In anger she kicked again and Revy was hurled backwards.

Revy somersaulted and stood up. Natthar also stood. "You're good, bitch," Natthar complimented.

"So are you, whore," Revy answered. Her legs pumped and she ran full speed to Natthar. She hit the princess with a flying spear, tackling her like a linebacker. Both women crashed hard on the marble floor.

Revy heard Velcro tore, she knew what was coming. With lightning speed she unlocks her holster and drew one of her Berettas. She spun and came face to face with Natthar's Kimber .45.

Pistols aimed at each others head. The two amazons breathed hard to get more oxygen in their blood stream. Bruises and ribbons of blood started forming on their faces.

"Go ahead, Two Hands," Natthar mused, breathing hard. She noticed Revy is aiming for her medulla oblongata; a bullet on this part would immediately shut her brain down before she could pull the trigger of the Kimber. "This is what you want, right? You want to kill me since Burma. Here is your chance."

Revy's eyes blazed in anger. "I've been in many fights before, but this is the first time someone pushed me to the limit. You earned my respect…Your Highness."

Natthar was surprised.

Revy's eyes soften and she lowered her gun. "Our enemy is outside," she continued. "We can either kill each other, or we can kill them and avenge your soldiers."

Natthar lowered her pistol and bowed. "I was not thinking straight earlier. Forgive me."

"It happens," Revy answered, holstering her Beretta. She massaged her temple. "Damn, you sure hit hard."

"I was trained in Muay Thai since I was four," Natthar explained, also holstering her Kimber. "In the Marines, I leaned many other martial arts." Natthar also massaged the big bump forming on her forehead. "Fucking headbutt. Didn't expect that. Where did you learn it?" she asked.

Revy nodded. "New York. It was long story."

"Your shotokan is good, too."

The sound of amplified voice made the two amazons to take cover and get their rifles ready. A voice in Thai spoke on the loudspeakers.

"To the invading commandos," Trang's voice echoed on the palace. "Surrender now! You have no hope of rescuing the hostages. You just saw how we stopped your rescue force. You are all alone. If you do surrender, we will kill five hostages within five minutes. If you fail to heed this warning, five more will be executed every half hour until you surrender. Surrender to us and we shall be merciful."

"Don't you love a guy who ends a speech with a joke?" Revy smirked.

"Yeah," Natthar agreed. "I love him so much, I'm gonna snap his neck."

"Do you have a plan?" Revy asked.

"No. You might have one."

Revy smiled. "I always have a plan."

Natthar also smiled. "Then lead the way."


	15. Chapter 15

15

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:25 hrs_

Prime Minister Wongsamut gazed up on the stone-cold expression of Colonel Charnon Trang. The terrorists had just selected four hostages for execution. Two are congressmen and two members of parliament. Trang would choose one more.

"Stop this madness, Trang," Wongsamut pleaded. "I know there is still conscience left on you."

"We have room for one more," Trang responded coldly. Would you like to volunteer, Prime Minister?"

The other hostages inside the ballroom watched tensely the confrontation between the terrorist leader and the prime minister. Minister of Finance Saikua trembled in fear. He had been terrified since they heard chopper noises, gunshots, huge explosions and finally the terrorist's announcement that they are going to kill hostages. Saikua prayed hard that Buddha will spare him from death.

Captain Porngarunatikul had been unable to organize the other members of the Royal Guards and guests with military and police experience to take action against the terrorists. He had found a number of willing recruits, including a well-known Thailand action movie star. But there had not been time to plan any type of strategy before Trang and the others had arrived.

"Very well," the prime minister answered. "I volunteer."

Everyone was shocked by his pronouncement. Minister of Defense Prompat stood up. "Pracha!" he begged. "You can't be serious!"

"If it takes my life to save another life, so be it," Wongsamut declared.

"No!" Porngarunatikul said sharply. "The Prime Minister is the head of government of Thailand! He was elected by the people. To kill such a man would be an international crime!"

Trang swatted the butt of his rifle at the captain's shoulder. Porngarunatikul collapsed on the floor. "You bastard!" he hissed. "Throw that gun away and fight me like a man!"

"Shut up, Captain," Trang scolded. "I don't wanna kill such a young, promising officer. So don't force me."

Two terrorists dragged Wongsamut to join the first four. Trang turned his heels to go. But then he stopped and looked at the king's young wife. He turned and looked at the congregation of hostages aiding Porngarunatikul. "You know, I heard you are planning a revolt. In case you were wondering, I do have a spy in your midst."

The king's wife stood up and smiled sadistically. "I wish there is a more noble cause," she said. "But frankly, it's all about the money."

Prompat snapped. "You fucking traitor!" He started to lunge at the king's wife but was stopped by my rifles of Trang's men.

"Why are you doing this?" Wongsamut asked the woman. "The king loved you more than his daughter!"

The wife smirked. "Don't make me laugh, Minister. He kept me as a virtual prisoner in his palace. He never gave me anything that I wanted. I want more than a fake title. I want everything. Colonel Trang would surely repay me handsomely for my deeds."

Trang stepped forward. "I will repay you," he said.

"Good. I want half of your…" The wife noticed Trang unsheathing his Colt. "Wait, Trang!" she shouted in alarm as the colonel aimed his .45 at her face.

Trang pulled the trigger. The hostages screamed and gasped in horror as the king's ex-wife body tumbled to the floor, half of her head gone.

"Why?" Wongsamut asked.

"If she could betray her king, she could definitely betray me," Trang responded, holstering his pistol. He turned his back as his men dragged the five chosen hostages towards the door.

* * *

_Ho Sulalai Phiman_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:25 hrs_

"Dutch, those fuckers are serious," Rico whispered to the Lagoon commander as the two men crept among the orchards of the Ho Sulalai Phiman building.. "They're going to kill the hostages."

"There is nothing we can do," Dutch replied as he scouted the horizon.

"Damn it, Dutch," Rico hissed through clenched teeth. "This goes against my grain-."

"The others are in a better position to help the hostages," Dutch insisted. "Our job is to find that bomb and disarm it."

Rico shook his head. "You are right."

Earlier, they had captured a terrorist alive. Luckily, the man knew where the bomb is located. With a bit of persuasion, he told the two Lagoon warriors the location of the bomb, somewhere inside the Ho Sulalai Phiman building. Two Burmese mercenaries and a Thai terrorist guarded the door of the edifice.

There would be no strategy here, just search and destroy.

Rico cut loose with his M249. 5.56mm bullets smashed on the terrorists, surprising them with sudden death. Their bodies convulsed like marionettes and collapsed on the ground. Dutch and Rico rushed to the building. Dutch's left hand jerked, hurling a grenade onto a window. The blaster blew up, sending sheets of flames out of building.

Dutch entered first, USAS-12 roaring. A terrorist was immediately blasted to bits by full auto buckshot. The two rounded the corner as four terrorist opened fire. Rico and Dutch took cover behind a pillar as bullets zing past them to savage concrete and wood. Dutch fired back with his shotgun, buckshot blowing the head of a terrorist by the phone. Rico tossed in a grenade. Screams of pain erupted after the explosive detonated.

Dutch's shotgun locked empty. He tossed it on the floor and drew his S&W revolver. A movement on the corner drew his attention. He aimed the massive hand cannon and tripped the trigger. A flunky collapsed, his neck ravaged by a .44 Magnum round.

Rico knew his machine gun is already nearing the end of its belt. The M249 could accept standard M-16 STANAG magazines – and there are plenty of those lying around – but the squad automatic weapon is unreliable with magazines. Rico dropped the machine gun and picked an M-16 from the floor. He tossed it to Dutch and picked another one for himself.

Rico bolted up the carpeted stairs, M-16 ready. Dutch followed, climbing the stairs at a slightly slower, more cautious pace. The American watched the stairs and glanced over his shoulders to be certain that no one was sneaking up from behind.

An arm extended from a post at the head of the stairs. A pistol that resembled a 1911 was in its fist. The unseen gunman fired at Rico, but the terrorist had not aimed. A .45 caliber slug punched plaster from a wall above Rico's head. The priest snap-aimed his M-16 and fired a burst.

Two 5.56mm missiles smashed into the terrorist's arm. The fist opened and dropped the pistol. A voice cried out in Thai as the terrorist staggered away from the post. Rico saw his opponent and immediately nailed three shots on the man's torso. The terrorist tumbled headlong down the stairs.

Rico saw three figures covering into the second-story hall. He fired a burst, sending the figures diving to the floor to avoid the high-velocity hailstorm. Rico ducked behind the post and yanked the pin from a SAS-style flash bang grenade. He fired the last rounds from the M-16 to encourage the terrorists to stay down before he tossed the grenade.

The grenade exploded, bright flash and intense noise filling the room. Rico drew his Desert Eagle and fired, .357 Magnum rounds savaging flesh.

"Dutch, I think we'd been duped," Rico said, searching the room. "There is no bomb here."

"It can't be," Dutch argued. "Those men we interrogated have no reason to lie…"

"Unless…Trang told them a flat lie. He wasn't interested in blowing up the palace."

"Damn it!" Dutch cursed as he kicked a chair that crashed to pieces on the marble floor.

* * *

_Phra Thinang Aphorn Phimok Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:30 hrs_

Revy and Princess Natthar crept along the rooftop of the Phimok Prasat, getting into a position with a clear view of the courtyard. Terrorist were lined along the walls, forming a great horseshoe pattern around five figures that were approximately 20 feet from the gunmen.

"PM Wongsamut is among them," Natthar said bitterly.

Prime Minister Wongsamut stood before the other four hostages. He is giving them the last rites of Buddhist faith. Revy could see the fear on the hostages with their scopes. Natthar avoided it.

"So what's your plan?" Natthar asked.

In truth, Revy has no plan. She doesn't know how to save the hostages from certain death. They are in a pretty good position to snipe the terrorist, but there are at least 30. Even if they killed half of that, even a single terrorist could kill all five hostages. But at least, they have to try.

"You are a better precise shooter than me," Revy whispered. "I'll distract them and take out as many as possible. You snipe anyone who points their guns at the hostages. Hopefully, they will run at the first sound of gunfire."

Natthar nodded. "I can see there is no other way."

Suddenly, the terrorists opened fire on the hostages. A burst of full-auto lead struck Wongsamut in the spine as he was about to bless the final hostage. His bullet-riddled body fell forward. Other hostages were shot in the chest and lower torso. Several prisoners' head recoiled as slugs ripped through their faces and blasted exits at the back of their skulls.

"You bastards!" Natthar screamed as she fired her M4 in full auto at the terrorists. Revy followed with her HK416 a millisecond later. They quickly realized their mistake. The girls reacted from gut instinct when they had witnessed the cold-blooded murder of the five unarmed hostages. Yet it was the wrong move. The hostages were already dead. The attempt to rescue them had failed, and the logical tactic would have been to avoid attracting attention. The terrorists probably would not have known the commandos were in the area if Revy and Natthar had held their fire.

However, a soldier does not always do what is logical. Revy and Natthar couldn't recall the slugs. Eight terrorists were quickly cut down by 5.56mm slugs before the enemy knew where the shots were coming from. Bodies dropped among the startled terrorists. Survivors scrambled for cover. A few returned fire in the general direction of the Lagoon pair.

Revy triggered her M203. The 40mm HEDP explosive sailed in the air and smashed on the ground between the running terrorists, detonating on impact. Five gunmen were blown to pieces, their bodies and body parts flying in all directions.

"Let's get out of here," Natthar commented, taking an M67 grenade from her belt.

Several enemy bullets chewed at the eaves of the roof near their position. The bastards were getting too close for comfort, although none of them scored a direct hit. Natthar pulled the pin and hurled the grenade at the courtyard. Four more flunkies were mangled by the explosion, the shrapnel wounded six others. The remaining terrorists hit the dirt and kept their heads down.

Revy and Natthar retreated to the opposite side of the peak. They crawled along the roof on all fours, scrambling across the tiles like a pair of desperate animals. Another salvo of full-auto rounds pelted the roof and tore chips from the summit.

"We fucked up," Revy rasped.

"Yeah," Natthar agreed as more bullets sailed around them.

Something struck the building. Suddenly, an explosion bellowed near Revy and Natthar. The blast assaulted them from every direction. The roof crumbled beneath their weight, and both women plunged into a black pit of oblivion.

* * *

**I apologize for the delay, I'm too busy during the last couple of weeks because of my day job. Rest assured though that this story will be updated regularly. -gene**


	16. Chapter 16

16

_Government House_

_Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 22:40 hrs_

Colonel Trang's face appeared on the screen. He looks happy, or he's good in keeping his cool. "Greeting, gentlemen," he said.

"What do you want now, Trang?" asked General Janjarhatsin.

"I now have the Princess of Thailand as my hostage," Trang triumphantly declared. "I have to give her the utmost respect for her courage. But all good things must come to an end."

"We are willing to negotiate for her release along with the king…"

"No, no. Her Highness killed many of my men. She will be punished."

Wichiadit exploded. "You cannot do that! The princess is our future queen!"

Trang's face disappeared.

Wichiadit sagged on his chair. "What now?"

Janjarhatsin could only shake his head. "All we can do now is pray."

* * *

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 23:00 hrs_

Revy experienced a strange gliding sensation. The American war machine thought she was dreaming until consciousness slowly lifted the veils from her senses. Her body was numb, and a throbbing pain filled her skull. Revy stifled a groan. She did not know where she was or whether friend of for was nearby.

The gliding sensation transformed into the unpleasant realization that someone was dragging her by the armpits. Her arms were numb and her hands were at the small of her back. Something was binding her wrists together. Revy could hear footsteps and voices uttering a guttural language that she could not identify.

Revy slowly opened her eyes. She didn't like what she saw. She was being dragged through a corridor. Several armed men surrounded her and none of them looked very friendly. The cobwebs disappeared and recent events returned vividly.

Obviously, the terrorist blew the roof with a grenade or rocket. The explosion and collapse knocked Revy unconscious. The enemy found and easily captured her. Revy wondered what had happened to Princess Natthar. Had she escaped, or had Natthar also been taken prisoner? Or had she been killed in the explosion?

Fingers seized Revy's hair and yanked her head back. A stern face with dark eyes leaned towards the American. He spoke in rapid Thai.

"Maybe she'll understand English," Trang remarked. The tall, handsome colonel is standing nearby.

"Do you understand me, American whore?" Kham repeated.

Revy looked at Kham's face. She cannot do anything, her hands are bind tight. But she still has a weapon. Her mouth fired a glob of spit. Saliva hit the Burmese square in the face. He growled in angry curse and recoiled back. His hand snaked out and his fist caught Revy in the center of her face. Painfully bright lights burst in front of Revy's eyes. Sharp pain lanced up from her nose through her sinus. Kham kicked the Lagoon warrior in the stomach. Revy doubled in pain.

"Enough," Trang ordered. Kham stepped back and wiped the spit of her mouth.

Trang stepped closer. "What is your name?"

Revy looked up. "My name is Rebecca Gofuckyourself."

Trang chuckled. "Rebecca? Revy Two Hands, I presumed? The tattoo on your shoulder is a dead giveaway."

"So I am right, after all," Kham said. "The killers from Roanapur."

Revy smiled as blood dripped from her nostril. "So I am famous even here in Bangkok."

Kham swatted his hand at Revy's face. Revy's head barely moved from the blow. "Is that all you got?" Revy taunted.

Kham howled and fired an uppercut, catching Revy in the jaw. Her head bounced back and she fell on the floor. "You bastard…"she growled. "Remove my binds and I'll show you how hard a girl can hit…"

"You are quite tough," Trang remarked. "For a woman. I know someone who is tough too. Widi Sukandar, you remember her?"

Revy lit up and looked at Trang squarely. "What is it to you?"

"Did you kill her?" asked Trang.

"Yeah. Stabbed her in the gut. Don't worry, I'll kill you too."

Trang's expression went dark. But he controlled his anger. "You will die, Two Hands. Slowly and painfully. But we will make you talk first."

"I won't talk, you assholes," Revy defiantly said.

"Maybe, but the princess will. Kham, interrogate our guest. I'll deal with the princess." Trang left the room.

Revy breathed a sigh of relief. At least Natthar is still alive. Revy saw something shiny on the floor. With a nudge, she forced herself like a sea lion. She dropped and quickly grabbed the object with her tied hands. By touch she quickly indentified the object as a spent casing of a 9mm parabellum bullet. Revy smiled, she could use this to cut her bonds. Luckily the terrorists used plastic cable ties instead of metal handcuffs.

Revy pressed the casing on the concrete floor, flattening the hollow tip. She palmed the case tight on her hand. She was again dragged on the floor towards a room lighted by a single hanging bulb. Kham and his men quickly sat her on a metal stool.

Revy quickly surveyed the room. On a table close to the stool are several tools used by a carpenter or electrician, they are also useful in torturing for information. Aside from Kham, a big brawny Burmese is preparing the tools of the trade. Two more armed Thais guarded the doors.

"You will talk bitch," Kham hissed. "Where are your friends?"

"They are looking for you," Revy replied.

Kham backhanded Revy in the face. The woman tasted copper as her lip split open. The pain was immense, but it was nothing compared to Natthar's punch

"You will answer or I will make this very unpleasant for you," Kham said. "Now, who's with you?"

"Just your mother," Revy spat.

Kham backhanded Revy again. Unknown to the terrorist commander, Revy's fingers are wrapped tight on the 9mm case and she is slowly sawing the plastic cuff. She just needs to stall for a bit of time…

* * *

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 23:05 hrs_

Trang's men shove Natthar inside a dark room. She shook her head and look up. Tied on a chair is middle aged man dressed in gold suit. "Father!" Natthar called. She tried to rush on the king's side but she was tied on wall.

King Rama's eyes opened. "Natthar!" he responded.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes my dear," the king answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain it later."

Trang entered the room and clapped his hand. "How touching... You know, I'm a sucker for family reunions."

"Trang! Release my daughter now!" The king bellowed.

Natthar shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Father."

"Your daughter is right, she's not going anywhere, and so are you, Your Highness," Trang declared. He nodded to one of his men. They dragged Natthar away from the room.

"If you hurt my daughter, I will kill you myself," the king threatens Trang.

Two Thai mercenaries grabbed the king and stood him up. The king tried to struggle but they held him tight. "We're going for a ride, Your Highness," Trang declared.


	17. Chapter 17

17

_Chakri Maha Prasat_

_Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 23:15 hrs_

Finance Minister Saikua exclaimed as he rushed toward a pair of terrorist guards. "I must speak to you! It is most urgent!"

"Stop right there!" a Burmese replied, pointing his M-16 at Saikua.

"Just a moment," the minister urged. "I am trying to warn you of danger."

"Calm down," the second guard, a Thai, replied with a sigh. "What is it?"

"That man, captain of the Royal Guards," Saiku said, pointing at Captain Porngarunatikul, "is trying to convince some of the others to revolt."

"Revolt?" the Thai frowned. "How? What has he planned?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Porngarunatikul exclaimed, glaring at Saikua. "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing, Captain…" Saikua muttered in fear, stepping back from the Royal Guard.

"You son of a bitch!" the captain shouted. "You're going to ruin everything!"

He lunged forward and seized Saikua's shirt front. The captain shook the minister and snarled all kinds of obscenities. Two other Royal Guardsmen rushed forward and pulled their commander away from the minister.

"He isn't worth it, sir!" a sergeant declared.

"That fool ruined everything!" Porngarunatikul said bitterly.

"Very entertaining," the Thai guard chuckled. "Come with me, Captain. I have some questions to ask-."

Suddenly, groups of hostages attacked the guards at the exits. Three or more prisoners went after each sentry. They were armed with all kinds of improvised weapons; belts, shoes, even neckties. The famous action star used his Muay Thai skills to take out a terrorist with his bare hands.

The guards who had been amused by the confrontation between Saikua and Porngarunatikul were no longer laughing. Both raised their rifles. The captain and his men rammed themselves into their captors, tacking both to the floor. Porngarunatikul wrestled the M-16 from the terrorist's grasp, then used the butt to pummel the Thai's head.

The other Guardsman was not as lucky. The Burmese terrorist managed to whip the butt of his M-16 across the soldier's skull. The trooper fell with a groan as the Burmese swung the weapon towards the captain.

Saikua suddenly grabbed the barrel of the rifle and shoved it upward as the Burmese pulled the trigger. 5.56mm rounds drilled on the ceiling as female hostages shrieked in terror. The terrorist snarled in anger as the minister refused to let go, even if his hands are burned. The Burmese foot flew up, catching Saikua in the groin. He gasped in pain and collapsed on the carpet, hands on his genitals.

Suddenly, Defense Minister Prompat kicked the frame of the M-16, sending it hurling on the floor. The old man grabbed the terrorist head with two hands and pumped a knee towards his face. The force of the Muay Thai knee strike broke the nose of the Burmese and sent him on the floor, knocked out.

Porngarunatikul's mouth fell open. "Minister…"

"I'm a former marine and a Muay Thai champion, Captain," Prompat declared. "And I'm not as old as you think."

"I owe you my life, Minister."

"Saikua deserves most of the credit," Prompat declared as he helped the minister rise from the floor. "The gunman would have shot you before I reach him, but he risked his life to protect you."

"Are you all right, Minister?" Porngarunatikul asked Saikua.

"I had better days, Captain," Saikua croaked.

"You deserve an Academy award, and a medal for bravery."

"It wasn't difficult for me to act as a coward," Saikua confessed. "I was scared to death."

"So was I," Porngarunatikul said. "Don't tell me you're a coward, Minister. It takes a lot of balls to do what you had done."

Several hostages waved weapons they had taken from the terrorists. Many cheered, but others realized that loud voices would alert the enemy. A few were obviously fearful of retaliation by the enemy. Luckily the room was soundproof and shots weren't heard.

"We better move," Porngarunatikul suggested. "They might return-."

Suddenly ten terrorist appeared at the main entrance. Porngarunatikul cursed as he dropped on the floor and aimed his M-16 on the door. He knew that there would be a bloodbath, but it's better to take the chance and die fighting than die hiding.

Two figures appeared behind the terrorists. A few of them began to convulse in a bizarre dance, their bodies jerked and twitched as blood and brains splurted from their skulls and torso. The rapid staccato of a submachine gun filled the hall.

Lotton the Wizard and Shenhua attacked the terrorist from the rear. Lotton's captured H&K UMP-45 submachine gun blasted a volley of fat .45 caliber slugs in the backs of three opponents. Shen's hand snapped, throwing a kunai at another man. The terrorist collapsed as the knife buried on his neck. A second terrorist turned just in time to see Shen's left hand snapped forward, sending a kunai straight to the Thai's right eye socket.

A third opponent charged at Shen. The lady warrior drew her e-nep knife and stabbed. Steel pierced flesh although it did not stab deeply enough to inflict a mortal wound. Shen lunged forward, jumping between three wounded opponents and swung the knife. The woman pivoted, increasing the force and speed on the stroke. The blade slashed a terrorist across the chest. The arc of steel continued and cut the throat of another wounded man. Shenhua raised her sword, ready to deliver another stroke if needed. Three dead terrorists collapsed around her.

The remaining terrorists battled Lotton, although it wasn't a fair fight. The Lagoon fighting machine is already aiming at the enemy. He hit the them with another salvo of .45 caliber fire. Bullets raked the chests of two terrorists, bursting their hearts as the impact drove them backwards. A third one fired his Skorpion submachine gun but missed. Lotton fired and erased the terrorist's face with a burst of .45 lead.

Lotton glanced at the hostages. He was surprised when some of the prisoners are pointing guns at him. "It's okay!" Lotton tried to calm them before they panicked and open fire. "We are here to rescue you."

"Are you guys from the army?" asked one of the prisoners with an M-16.

"No, but we are friends."

Captain Porngarunatikul lowered the rifle. "Thank Buddha you guys are here. I am Captain Porngarunatikul." The captain eyebrows rose as he saw one of the rescuers is a beautiful Chinese woman armed with knife.

"How did you find us?" Minister Prompat asked.

"We followed the guards," Lotton explained. "We ran out of ammunition so we have to steal some weapons, and prepared to take out the guards. But it looks you guys already taken care of that."

"We decided to die like rams rather than sheep," Porngarunatikul said.

"Where's the rest of your force?" asked Saikua.

Lotton and Shen looked at each other. "Actually a couple of our teammates were supposed to rescue you," Lotton said with a worried look on his face. "But they must have tried to save the hostages who were executed in the courtyard. From the sound of gunfire and explosions, I'd say our friends must have run into some solid opposition. We don't know if they're alive or dead."

"We're the only one that could help you," Shen said.

"Do you have a plan to get us out of here?" asked Prompat.

"Uhum," Lotton confirmed. "We have to go to the motorpool."

* * *

_Chakri Maha Prasat torture room_

_Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 23:40 hrs_

"Now you will talk, bitch," Kham growled as he grabbed a pair of pliers from the table.

Revy could not repress a tremble of fear as Kham approach her. She is not a machine, she is a human being and a human body could only endure so much. But despite the fear, she could feel something pumping on her blood. Adrenalin is swiftly rising, and in her desperate moments, this would be her savior.

A torturer named Reza approached and grabbed her hair, pulling Revy's face upward.

Kham suddenly kicked Revy in the stomach. Revy gasped, but he welcomed the pain because it gave him the last push that she needed.

With a yell, Revy's arms pushed outward. The plastic cable tie, weakened by the cut from the bullet casing, snapped.

Like Samson, Revy is suddenly free of her bonds.

Revy's left arm sliced downward, chopping her rigid palm on Reza's groin. The terrorist howled in pain and collapsed on the floor. With sudden fury, Revy fired a high kick at the shocked Kham. Her boot smashed on the leader's chin. Kham spun and hit the floor hard face-first.

The guard on the door saw the commotion and was about to shoot Revy with his pistol. Revy grabbed a screwdriver from the table. Her hand snapped forward, throwing the tool towards the assailant. Five inches of steel buried on the terrorist's left eye, killing him instantly.

Reza started to rise, clutching his genitals. Revy ran towards him and grabbed the terrorist hair and belt, then charged towards the wall. With full force, Reza's skull connected with the unyielding surface. Revy heard the crack of bone; the body went limp as blood poured from the horrific blunt force trauma wound.

Revy stood up and looked for Kham. The bastard disappeared, probably scrambled out of the room as she kills his men. The woman quickly scanned the room and saw another table containing weapons. She noticed two shiny pieces of Italian steel, her Berettas.

"Its payback time," she said as she slipped her leather holster and grabbed an H&K MP5K with two spare magazines.

Revy exited the room. Two armed figures appeared in the hall, headed for the torture room when they heard the gunshot. The pair came to an abrupt halt when they discovered their "prisoner" is now free and armed. Revy squeezed the trigger of the MP5K, bracing the submachine gun on her hip and gripping the foregrip tightly to control the muzzle climb. One terrorist was quickly killed by three 9mm slugs stitching on his chest. Revy shifted aim and took out the second one with a burst to the head.

Another terrorist appeared and fired his M-16 at Revy. The Lagoon woman dove to the floor as bullets smashed on the walls above her. Revy poke the MP5 and fired with one hand. The terrorist convulsed as 9mm parabellum turned him into Swiss cheese. The German chopper locked empty.

Kham suddenly came out of a room and fired an M-16 at Revy. The American tossed her empty MP5 and rolled on the floor, drawing her twin Berettas. Revy fired her handguns akimbo style. Kham took cover behind a pillar as 9mm pills slammed around him. Revy scrambled for cover behind another pillar.

"Eat this, bitch!" Kham yelled as he poked the muzzle of the M-16. Revy quickly saw the gaping hole of the M203 grenade launcher under the barrel. She leaped as the 40mm hit the pillar and exploded, sending shrapnel and debris at every direction. Revy felt the sting as a steel wire projectile bit her leg.

Kham laughed as he reloads the 203. "What's the matter, little girl?" he mocked. "Had enough? I'll make your death quicker!"

"Fuck you!" Revy answered as she fired back with her Berettas. Kham retreated but one 9mm slug grazed his left ear. The Burmese howled in pain as he grabbed the bloody side of his head.

Revy's back hit a pillar as she reloads her Berettas.

"Hey Two Hands!" Kham called out. "Let's finish this!"

Revy stuck on of her pistols on the holster and gripped the remaining one with both hands. "You're on, Kham!" she yelled back.

"Die bitch!" Kham howled as he emerged from his cover.

Revy emerged at the same time, gripping her Beretta in a firm two-hand Weaver combat grip. She pulled the trigger a millisecond before Kham triggered the M203…

…125 grains of nine millimeter hollowpoint slug sailed into the air at supersonic speed and went straight inside the barrel of the M203 grenade launcher. The bullet struck the nose of the 40mm HEDP grenade, detonating the charge. The rifle/launcher exploded in millions of pieces, driving most of it at Kham's body.

The Burmese commander fell on the floor a bloody mess, mortally wounded from thousands of shrapnel wounds.

"Rest in pieces," Revy snapped as she fired a mercy round at Kham's head.


	18. Chapter 18

18

_Phra Thinang Mahisorn Prasat_

_Bangkok Thailand_

_Monday, April 4, 23:50 hrs_

"Go! Go!" Lotton shouted as he escorted the hostages running on the corridor. Behind the column of thirty hostages, Shen is covering the back. A pair of terrorists fired at the group, causing the hostages to hit the ground in panic. Lotton and Porngarunatikul fired back, killing the assailants in a hail of bullets.

The sound of diesel engine filled the air. A two and a half ton truck suddenly smashed on a wall. Lotton raised his UMP-45 as the Royal Guards did the same…

But he held his fire when he saw a familiar face on top of the truck, manning a machine gun. "Hold your fire!" Lotton shouted with a smile on his face. "That's our salvation!"

Rico waved. Suddenly, he fired his M60 machine gun on top of the buildings. A terrorist fell headfirst towards the earth.

Dutch pulled over beside the hostages. "Get in!" he ordered from the driver seat of the truck. The hostages didn't need to be told twice, the quickly climbed the back of the truck. The Royal Guards helped cover the Lagoon team as they quickly filled the truck.

"Let's go, Dutch!" Rico said as he smacked the top of the truck cab. Dutch quickly revved the engine and Phra Thinang Suthaisawan Prasat gate.

Shen smiled at Lotton as they stood on the back of the truck. Lotton nodded as he wearily sat on the tailgate. "I hope Revy and Natthar are safe," he said.

Shenhua was about to answer when she noticed something on the roof of a building. Figures in black appeared then suddenly disappeared. She realized they were ninjas. That means the fight is not over yet. Shen suddenly leaped from the back of the truck and landed on a rooftop. Like a cat, she ran and disappeared in the night.

"Shen!" Lotton shouted in surprise as his girlfriend vanished. Without thinking, he leaped on another rooftop and chased after the woman.

"What the hell?" Rico wondered, but then the truck stopped. "What's going on Dutch?"

Dutch didn't answer. But Rico quickly saw the reason: the gate was blocked by terrorist guards and a GKN Simba armored car. The .50 caliber machine gun of the Simba is pointing straight at them…

"Intruders!" the terrorist on the barricade shouted using a megaphone. "Surrender now and give us the hostages or we will open fire!"

"No way," Rico muttered.

Captain Porngarunatikul shook his head as he gripped his M-16. After all that effort to save them, they will be massacred so close to the exit.

"Dutch…lets bust through them," Rico suggested.

The big black man shook his head. "No way, Rico. The hostages will be killed." Dutch is running out of options.

Suddenly, a loud whoosh broke the still of the night. Rico looked up just in time to see an unearthly black object sailed past them. The flying device is too small to be a plane.

The Simba exploded in a ball of fire.

Dutch shouted in delight when he realized what it was. "Fuck yeah Benny!"

The object released another missile, hitting the barricade and exploding, killing everyone on the vicinity.

"Garuda Three, this is Nest," the reassuring voice of Rock sounded on the radio.

"Nest this is Garuda Three," Dutch radioed back. "Damn good to hear from you Rocky. Where have you been?"

"Our base was compromised; we have to transfer to the Lagoon." Rock paused. "Where is Garuda Two? I can't reach them."

"I have no idea, Rock. We lost communication with Revy and Natthar a few hours ago." Dutch knew Rock is worried about Revy. "They'll be fine, Rock. Revy would never let herself be killed."

Dutch looked up and saw the black object circling above them. "That damn Batman shit worked."

"Yeah," Rock chuckled. "And you were so mad at Benny when he bought the UAV."

"I owe him a beer," Dutch concedes. "He saved our asses."

"Get the hostages out of there, Dutch."

Dutch revved the engine of the truck and drove it straight on the gate. A few terrorists survived the Batman attack, but they were quickly cut down by Rico and the Royal Guards.

Rico launched a flare as the truck exited the gate. The hostages erupted in cheers as they reached safety. Still, most of them are concerned about the safety of the last remaining hostage, the king himself.


	19. Chapter 19

19

_Temple of the Emerald Buddha_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Tuesday, April 4, 24:00 hrs_

Sato and Hatami, the only ninja warrior under Sato's command to survive the battle, had come to the realization that the terrorist scheme was a failure. There was nothing left to do but accept this bitter fact and concentrate on survival. The two ninjas had left Trang and Kham to face their fate. Any attempt to fight the overwhelming odds would be suicide. The samurai had a tradition of seppuku, ritual suicide by disembowelment, but the ninjas were more practical. Mistakes of the present are lessons for the future. Failure was often the foundation of victory.

And, Sato realized, many mistakes had been made. His honorable clan should never have associated with the terrorists. Kham was a fanatic, and Trang had not been as clever as he had thought. The treasures of the Grand Palace were indeed wondrous, but seizing it was widely ambitious. Perhaps, Sato thought, Trang never intended to steal the treasures but to just go down in a big way.

Perhaps the plan would have succeeded if the mysterious band of fighters had not penetrated their defenses. Whoever those men were, the ninja had to admit they were superb warriors. They already killed scores of terrorists and a few ninjas, and judging by the sound of gunfire and explosions still ringing in the complex, the battle is not over yet.

Sato and Hatami climbed the roof of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred structure in the compound. A great gold spire dominated its center, and smaller golden spires flanked each corner. Across the temple is the North Wall, and salvation. Sato climbed the roof and unslung his Minebea submachine gun. Hatami followed suit.

Without warning, a streak of silver rocketed towards them from the edge of the roof. Sato dodges the blade of the long e-nep knife. The leather strap on the pommel of the knife was pulled taut. The hooked blade of the e-nep yanked the Minebea from the ninja's grasp and hurled it across the roof.

Hatami fired his own Minebea in the general direction of their unseen attacker. Sato hurled a metsubushi at the dome. The ninja "sight remover" grenade exploded in a burst of light and smoke. Sato bolted towards the dome while Hatami moved into a position where it might be possible to ambush their opponent.

Shenhua fired her FN Five-seven pistol, pumping the last three bullets of the magazine. Small caliber armor piercing rounds stabbed Hatami in the torso, blowing out of his back. The ninja fell on the roof and didn't move.

Sato saw their enemy, a beautiful tall Chinese woman with long hair covering her right eye. Her left eye is as hard as marbles. On her left hand is a long knife Sato correctly identified as an e-nep, on her right is a pistol. The gun was locked back.

"Looks like you're out of bullets, beautiful one," Sato taunted.

Shen dropped the Five-seven. Suddenly, her right hand snapped forward. Sato quickly dropped to the roof as two kunai knives buried on the spire. He drew his pistol and fired. Shen retreated.

Shenhua threw her e-nep. The blade struck the frame of Sato's pistol, sending the gun hurling into the air. Shen pulled the leather strap and recovered her knife.

"Very good," Sato complimented. "Now it's a fair fight." He drew his wakizashi short sword from his back.

Shenhua suddenly leaped in the air, slashing her e-nep high. Sato blocked with his own blade. The two exchange rapid slashes and blocks. Sparks flew as metal sang against metal. Fighting with animalistic fury, Shenhua pushed Sato back step by step.

But then, Sato changed tactic. He spun the wakizashi in an under hand sweep, taking Shen by surprised. The lady retreated and avoided the blade but the razor sharp Japanese steel cut the leather strap. The e-nep flew away from the Chinese's hand. Shen quickly fired a snap kick, catching Sato in the abdomen.

Sato groaned but then slashed a cross body. Hairs flew as the wakizashi cut her long bangs. Shen snapped the leather strap like a wet towel, hitting Sato on the left cheek. The ninja groaned in pain and retreated.

Shen kicked the pommel of the e-nep on the roof, sending it flying. She caught the handle of the knife as Sato recovers and slashed a stroke. Blade meet blade again and the two exchanged more blows.

Sato stepped back and detonated another metsubushi at his feet. Shenhua cursed as white power blinded her. The Chinese leaped and backflipped, landing a few meters away from the spire. She readied her e-nep, but the ninja was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn," Shen muttered, thinking the ninja had escaped.

No, a ninja like that would never leave until he finished the job. Shen knew he was still here, but she couldn't see him.

Shenhua quickly remembered the teachings of her master. Sometimes, eyes are not needed to see the enemy. Shen closed her eyes and concentrated, relying on hearing and feel to find the elusive enemy.

Like flash of lightning, Shen stabbed backwards. The e-nep found flesh, and she heard a groan. Shen opened her eyes and saw Sato impaled in the chest by her knife. Blood sprayed out of the horrific wound. The look of bewilderment on the ninja's uncovered eyes says it all.

Shen pulled the knife as Sato collapsed on both knees. She swung the e-nep like a farmer cutting grass. The curve blade connected with Sato's spinal column. Sato's head flew as the body tumbled and rolled off the roof top.

"Shenhua!" Lotton called out as he climbed the rooftop.

Shen flicked the blood of her knife and smiled at Lotton. "You followed me…"

Suddenly, Lotton saw a black figure rising behind his girlfriend. "Shen! Behind you!"

Shen spun around as two shots rang out. Bullets slammed on her chest, driving her backward towards Lotton who is now running towards her. Blackness descended upon the Chinese warrior and the last thing she felt was her body slamming on Lotton's arms.

Hatami, who survived after being shot by Shenhua, leaned on the spire with a bloody pistol on his hand. The ninja knew he wouldn't last longer but he wanted to take Shen with him. Hatami aimed his gun at Lotton but he was too weak from blood loss. His shot missed, the bullet passing harmlessly above the two Lagoon warriors.

Lotton drew his Smith and Wesson M&P pistol and pulled the trigger ten times, emptying the magazine. Nothing was left of Hatami's head as it absorbs all .357 SIG rounds.

The headless corpse tumbled and fell two stories down.

Lotton dropped the pistol and hugged Shen's unmoving figure. "Shen! Shen!" he called out, tears flowing from his eyes. "No, you can't die! I love you, Shen!"

Shen was unresponsive.

Lotton hugged her tight and cried deeply.

"Lotton…" a voice called out weakly.

Lotton snapped up and he couldn't believe it, Shen's eyes are now open! "Shen! You're alive!"

"Of course, I am, you idiot," Shenhua croaked, smiling weakly.

"But…but…how?"

Shen inserted her hand inside her vest and retrieved her makeup compact. Two deep dents are embedded on the metal case. "I told you this would save my life," she said. "Although not my ribs, I think I got two broken."

Lotton sniffed. "You crazy ass bitch…"

Shen laughed. "You cry like one."

"I'm serious," Lotton insisted. "I thought I had lost you…"

"You didn't even bother checking my pulse, you dummy."

"I better take you to the hospital."

Shen shook her head. She lay on Lotton's shoulders. "Nah. I wanna stay here for a while. With you."

Lotton looked up and saw the beautiful night sky with millions of stars. He understood why Shen wants to stay. "It's beautiful."

"So…" Shen looked straight at Lotton's eyes. "You called be a bitch earlier?"

"It's a joke."

"I don't mind. I'm your bitch, anyway."

Lotton cracked a smiled and hugged Shen tighter.

"This is the time when you should kiss me," Shen suggested.

Without another word, Lotton's lips locked on Shenhua and they share a passionate kiss on the rooftop.


	20. Chapter 20

20

_Phra Thinang Sommuthi Thevaraj Uppabat_

_Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand_

_Wednesday, April 5, 24:30 hrs_

To have allowed these bastards to run roughshod over the Grand Palace stood against everything Princess Natthar believed in, but the odds were long. Too long. She'd been stripped of her guns. The cords wrapped around her wrists were biting into her flesh, and she couldn't even wriggle free.

Her guard, a terrorist she'd named "Tug," because he was big and had the girth of a drum. This didn't imply fatness. His shoulders were wide and square, and his torso was a hardpack of barrel-shaped muscle. He bore a couple fresh bandages, blood darkening the centers of them, and his black eyes stared soullessly at her.

Natthar looks nothing like a princess now. She is covered in dirt and blood. Her face is dirty, with ugly bumps and bruises decorating her otherwise flawless façade. Her battle fatigue is torn in many places, only a single button kept her jacket attached to her body.

"Pretty princess likes American steel, eh?" Tug asked, caressing the slide of her Kimber 1911 .45 caliber pistol in a sickeningly sexual manner.

Natthar twitched her nose. She wouldn't be able to get off as much of a kick as she'd like, but Tug was close enough for her to do some serious damage to his knee. One step closer...

He looked down and smiled, waving one thick digit in the air, chuckling. "Ah, I see your eyes, Your Highness."

"Piss off," Natthar spat. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. She snapped out with one foot, and felt canvas across her outstretched toes, and slid to the floor.

Dreamboat took aim with the Kimber. "I always wanted to shoot a .45. I wonder what it will do to your pretty head."

"You won't know," came a whispered response. The voice was deep, resonant despite it's whispered challenge, and the voice came across like a knifeblade on a grave marker.

Tug whirled, moving fast for a big man, but a woman only half his height, yet much slimmer and sleeker, moved with deadly swiftness and precision. Revy's hand stabbed, plunging the blade of her Cold Steel Tanto knife at Tug's neck. The terrorist mouth burbled in blood, until he collapsed on the floor, dead as a doornail.

Revy turned her attention to Natthar. Blades flashed and the princess was freed from her bounds. "Are you okay, Your Highness?" Revy asked.

"Fucking A," Natthar replied, scooping her Kimber. "Have you seen my father?"

Revy shook his head. "Dunno. The palace is still crawling with terrorists. We have to get to him before Trang escapes."

Revy opened a wooden chest on the floor. She took out a Blackhawk tactical vest and gave it to Natthar. The princess quickly donned it while Revy straps another one. Luckily the terrorists left behind a cache of weapons. Natthar grabbed a Mossberg .12 gauge shotgun while Revy found a familiar weapon, an H&K MP5A4 9mm submachine gun. They packed extra magazines for their long arms and pistols, and some grenades too.

"Are you ready?" Revy asked, slapping the bolt of the MP5.

"Yeah," Natthar replied, pumping the action of the shotgun.

"Let's kill some motherfuckers."

Revy and Natthar exited the room and cautiously walked the corridor. As they rounded a corner, Revy saw a group of armed men.

The American tapped the trigger of her MP5. Three 9mm rounds blasted the face of the nearest gunman, blowing his head like a piñata. Revy's second burst nailed another in the torso, his corpse tumbling on the carpeted walkway.

The remaining terrorists returned fire, bullets punching holes in the walls. Natthar's shotgun roared. A blast of .32 caliber buckshot blew the arm of one terrorist. Natthar pumped the shotgun and fired another one, blowing the man's head. The second terrorist took cover behind a wall. Revy blasted him with several burst but her slugs hit only walls.

Natthar kicked open a door and burst inside a room. Her shotgun erupted, killing the terrorist inside. Revy went in and reloaded. As soon as she came out, terrorist gunfire pushed her back inside, bullets smashing on the door jamb.

Revy took an MU-50G grenade from his vest and pulled the pin. She tossed the grenade on the corridor, firing her MP5 to discourage any terrorist attempt to pick it up. A man has hit by several 9mm slugs, his body landing on the floor with a thud. The grenade rolled inside a room and detonated. A mangled piece of humanity was thrown out of the door.

More terrorists opened fire as the two women took ground. 9mm and .12 gauge buckshot kept the enemy at bay, killing several. Revy dropped on one knee and blasted another terrorist in the shins, ripping his leg open. Revy fired another burst at the man's head, abruptly shutting his screams of pain.

A pistol poked out of a door jamb behind Revy. Natthar noticed it and quickly fired her Mossberg. The would-be assassin dropped with buckshot maiming his face. Revy entered a room and shot a terrorist inside, but then she felt two impacts on her back. Trauma plate saved her life again. Revy rolled, drawing her Beretta and nailed the shooter in the face.

Shouldering her MP5, she went back to the corridor as Natthar cleared rooms with her shotgun. A terrorist appeared in front of her. Revy tripped the trigger of the Beretta twice, nailing the man with a perfect double tap on the chest. The American spun and fired a Mozambique drill; nailing a terrorist with two shots on the torso and one in the head.

Revy drew her second Beretta and ran towards the staircase, sliding on the carpet on her knees. She aimed her right pistol on the top of the stairs and fired, killing a terrorist about to waste her. Her left Beretta spat flame, shooting another one in corridor. Revy fired both her handguns Akimbo style, killing several more terrorists until the guns locked empty. She quickly reloads as Natthar ran to her side.

The princess climbed the stairs, her shotgun firing and pumping rapidly. Two terrorists fell and tumbled like toys, mangled by buckshot. The two women reached the second floor, and into an empty corridor.

Revy was about to walk forward but Natthar stopped her. She held up her hand, urging silence. The princess pointed to an open door a few meters forward. A perfect ambush site.

Natthar took a grenade from her vest and pulled the pin. She popped the spoon, arming the minibomb, but she didn't throw it. She counted mentally; one thousand, one thousand two, one thousand three…

"Throw it!" Revy sharply commanded, her face filled with anxiety.

One thousand five. Natthar threw the grenade like a baseball pitcher. The explosive entered the open door and detonated with a bang. Screams of surprise and pain filled the corridor.

Revy and Natthar entered the room. Seven bodies lay on the floor, torn apart by shrapnel from the point black grenade blast. Three still alive, moaning in pain. Revy and Natthar opened fire, executing the wounded terrorists.

Natthar thumbed rounds on her shotgun as Revy reloaded her MP5. "This is more fun than Time Crisis," Natthar commented with a smile.

"How many levels more?" Revy asked.

"I have no idea, but we need to reach the king."

The two exited the room and reached the atrium. Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the other side. A bullet caught Natthar in the chest, sending her to the floor. Her shotgun slipped from her hand and fell two stories down the atrium.

Revy opened fired with her MP5, holding it like a gigantic pistol as she rushes to Natthar's fallen form. The enemy took cover and fired back with hundreds of rounds, stitching holes on the ornate walls and destroying priceless paintings and sculptures.

Revy slid on the floor and checked on Natthar. "Are you alright?" she asked above the noise of gunfire.

"Yeah," Natthar croaked. Kevlar and trauma plate blocked the bullet from savaging her heart, but the kinetic energy drove the wind out of her. Suddenly she drew her Kimber and fired behind Revy. A rushing terrorist was killed with two .45 rounds in the chest.

Revy pulled the princess to a room; both women firing to keep the terrorists head down long enough. More artworks were busted as bullets flew from every direction; walls were ventilated by hundreds of bullet holes.

"Take my vest off, I can't breathe," Natthar asked Revy as she reloads her .45. Revy unlocked the Velcro and snap locks. The princess ripped the vest off.

"Motherfuckers are covered up pretty well," Revy commented as she reloads her MP5. "And we are outnumbered ten to one. We can't take them all."

"Follow me," Natthar commanded, running to another corridor. Revy followed her.

Natthar glanced below. Two terrorist fired upwards. Revy and Natthar pulled back as bullets drilled on the ceiling. The two women attacked, firing bullets at the terrorists on the other side of the atrium. Revy howled in pain as a bullet grazes her left shoulder. They took cover behind a pillar. Revy ripped a piece of cloth from her shirt and tied her wound.

She looked up and saw two terrorists cautiously approaching their position. Revy fired her MP5, driving the terrorists to cover behind a wall. One of them poked his head above a statue.

It was enough a target for Natthar. The princess fired a single shot from her Kimber. The terrorist sprouted a third eye.

Both ran on the corridor, rushing on the opposition and firing as they ran. Revy took cover behind another statue as Natthar hit a wall. The second terrorist fired at the princess. He didn't see Revy. The Lagoon ace fired her MP5 until the magazine went dry. The terrorist was Swiss chess when he fell on the floor.

Revy drew her Berettas as Natthar crawled to her side. "Let's go!" Revy said.

Both women stood and fired in unison. 9mm and .45 caliber slugs rained on the enemy. Three were cut down; their skulls burst open like cantaloupes. Natthar took her last two grenades and pulled the pins. She nodded to Revy.

The princess rushed in and threw two hand grenades on the atrium as Revy kept on firing. The grenades exploded in two earth-shaking eruptions. Above the noise of the moaning, the atrium went silent.

The two amazons rushed to another part of the compound. There are still more terrorists to kill, and a king to rescue.


End file.
